One of my favourite parts of Round 1 of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft was when the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames snagged two lifelong Oilers diehards, Braeden Cootes and Cole Reschny, like they’re trying to soak up some of Edmonton’s aura. I know the teams would tell you they went up and selected the best players available (both of these kids look like fine prospects, to be sure), but I’m also convinced that at least part of these decisions was a subtle attempt to lasso some Oilers magic into two organizations that have none.

First up, Braeden Cootes spoke to reporters and offered, “I was an Oilers fan, but not anymore obviously.” Look, Braeden, I get it. This is your career, your shot at fulfilling your childhood dream, and you gotta play the part and kiss the ring. That’s the smart move, and here in Edmonton, we all know you’re just doing your job. But I’d also bet all of Gregor’s money that you’d rather be rocking Oilers colours if given the option, and going forward, you’ll have to be careful cheering for McDavid and company while the bosses aren’t looking. The Canucks haven’t been the same since losing to the Oilers in the playoffs, and Cootes knows that. So now they’re out here drafting our fans, thinking it’ll make them less of a divisional doormat. First, it was the Evander Kane trade to bring in some swagger, and now they’re dipping into the fanbase. Say what you will about those two moves, but we all know what’s really going on here.

Then there’s Cole Reschny, another lifelong Oilers fan, drafted by the Flames at 18th overall. Right after his selection, Reschny hit the media with another classic: “My family was Oilers fans when I came along, and it was just kind of in me to be an Oilers fan. I grew up rooting for them my whole life — Until now.”

Cole, that “until now” chunk of the line is what will make Calgary fans giggle in their cowboy boots and Pete’s Drive-In jammies, but we’re not mad at you. You, too, are chasing your NHL dream, and nobody’s gonna fault you for saying the right things to keep Calgary happy. Deep down, though, we know which jersey you’d rather be pulling over your head. Like the Canucks, I assume the Flames grabbed one of our own as a means of narrowing the gap with what’s happening up the highway. Nice try, Craig Conroy. You can’t just swipe right on an Oilers fan and expect to inherit our shine. It’s like stealing someone’s donair and claiming you invented it.

Cootes and Reschny might be wearing enemy colours now, but deep down, they’re still Oilers fans and we all know it. You don’t just shake off a lifetime of cheering for the boys in blue like it’s Shaker Fries at McDonald’s back in the 90s. Even though I know both of these young men are going to give it their all for their new teams, doing things you don’t want to do at work is part of growing up. I also know that being an Oilers fan isn’t something you turn on and off. It’s kind of like the Squidward meme when he’s looking out the window and seeing his friends having fun without him. You can park the Oilers jerseys in the back of the closet, but all we’ll get is a Tell-Tale Heart situation with the heart beating under the floorboards.

And let’s be clear, I’m not here to take shots at Cootes and Reschny. They’re two fantastic young hockey players doing everything possible to live out their dream, and that sometimes means saying things you don’t actually mean. Gotta keep the lights on, right? But let’s say the quiet part out loud: both of their hearts are still pumping blue and orange regardless of what they say in the press. It kind of reminds me of how Reid Schaefer was still in the Moss Pit during the playoffs last year, even though he’d already long been traded to the Nashville Predators organization. We all know what time it really is. You can borrow our boys and have them say they’re not Oilers fans anymore, but everyone always remembers their first love.