“It’s a Monday, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Monday feels a lot like Friday from about 4 pm on”
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Preparations for the first round of NHL playoffs are in full swing as Edmonton bars and restaurants open their doors to a wave of Oilers fans.
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Jordan Beatty, the operations manager of Sherlock Holmes Hospitality Group, said he’s ready for “madness” at the Downtown Sherlock Holmes Pub as the Oilers meet the Los Angeles Kings Monday to kick off the first round.
“It’s a Monday, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Monday feels a lot like Friday from about 4 pm on.”
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Beatty’s company runs four bars in the Edmonton area, and he’s anticipating Downtown will be the busiest location for the upcoming games. But if the Oilers make it deeper into the playoffs, he expects big crowds at other locations too.
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“A lot of us have been around since 2006 when we had that big playoff run. Each round got busier and crazier and more fun,” he said.
Concordia University economist Moshe Lander said Sunday that playoff action will be a boon for bars and restaurants Downtown, as well as along Whyte Avenue. But looking at the big picture, he warned not to expect much new economic activity — it will just be concentrated in specific parts of the city.
For the first time this year, fans can gather at the Ice District Plaza just outside Rogers Place for the Ford Tailgate Party, where home playoff games will be viewable on a big screen.
Lander said that’s bound to draw people Downtown, and other businesses nearby will reap the benefits too.
“That area is going to do roaring business,” he said.
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But people’s disposable income is always limited, and especially with high inflation, spending money on a night out to watch the game now likely means forgoing plans later.
Still, Edmonton pubs and eateries will benefit the longer the Oilers playoff run lasts — and Lander said the prospect of a battle of Alberta in the second round could be a bigger boost.
“Then you’d have people coming in from out of town, and it’s not going to be canceling out economic activity because Calgary and Edmonton are not at a tourist season yet.”
After the intense pressure of the past two years, with bars and restaurants stuck in a revolving door of closures and changing public-health measures, bar owners say they’re now seeing some relief.
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Steven Sachse, the general manager of MKT just off Whyte Avenue, said there’s been a steady increase in customers since COVID public-health measures lifted, to the point that the bar is completely full on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. But they’re also anticipating busy game nights ahead.
“We’re definitely preparing. We’ve already added another 25 shifts next week,” Sachse said.
The Edmonton Police Service said in a statement this week that they have safety plans in place during the playoffs.
Edmontonians can expect an increased police presence around Rogers Place and the Ice District before, during and after games. Jasper Avenue and Whyte Avenue will also see an increase in patrols.
Any necessary traffic advisories will be issued on the day of the game.
Twitter: @meksmith