Oilers dressing room after Game 7 loss in Stanley Cup Final
(Screenshot/ Oilers+)

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Video footage has surfaced inside Oilers locker room after Game 7
  • There is a deafening silence in the room as the players process the loss
  • See the gut-wrenching behind-the-scenes clip, plus our takeaways

 
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to lose the Stanley Cup?

Footage has surfaced of the Oilers’ dressing room following the team’s heartbreaking loss against the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.

The behind-the-scenes footage, featured in a documentary on Oilers+, shows a stunned and silenced Oilers dressing room as Garry Bettman announced the Panthers’ Cup win.

We have major respect for the Oilers for releasing this video, providing one of the most unique behind-the-scenes sports videos we’ve ever seen.

Check out the clip below, featuring deafening silence aside from Gary Bettman’s voice in the background.

Video

In the clip, you see various players, such as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Corey Perry, Connor McDavid, and Leon Draisaitl, in total agony after falling just short of their ultimate goal.

A few moments in the video stick out for me. There’s a cutback to Corey Perry, who lost in the Stanley Cup Final for the fourth time in five years. Although he does have a ring, I wonder if he was thinking back to all the other times he’s come so close.

Corey Perry in dressing room after losing Stanley Cup Final
(Screenshot/ Oilers+)

Another key moment is when Bettman announced that McDavid won the Conn Smythe over the speaker. No one in the Oilers room budged or appeared to care. After watching this, it’s hard to imagine McDavid leaving his teammates to go out and accept the trophy.

The video is heartbreaking in almost every way, but it’s hard not to feel extra pain for the veterans. A guy like RNH has been with the team since 2011, while Derek Ryan will be 38 at the end of next season. These players know this may have been their best chance.

Even if you aren’t an Oilers fan, this glimpse into the agony of defeat should touch the heartstrings of anyone who has ever played any sport.