All I Want for Christmas — Edmonton Oil Kings Edition

Dear Santa Claus,

While I know you’re quite busy around this time of year, I thought you might take a few minutes to read this letter and possibly deliver some much needed improvements to the Edmonton Oil Kings for Christmas. After all, Edmonton hockey fans haven’t been so naughty as to deserve both the Oilers and the Oil Kings playing this poorly all season. I figure maybe we start with the Oil Kings and then move on to the Oilers…

1. Systems that work – It has become apparent while watching the Oil Kings play more structured teams that whatever systems they think they’re playing are ineffective. I’m going to be brutally honest, sometimes they look like the Timbits players, just clustering around the puck. If you could bring some new and better systems, it would probably help a lot. Maybe something that focuses on defense first...

2. Coaching – This is starting to become a huge issue as there are players on the team who seem to be getting worse as the season goes on. Personally, I think a new Head Coach would be a really good shake-up for the team and might provide them with the systems I asked for to start with, but I don’t want to tell you how to do your job. If you could maybe inspire the current Head Coach to start coaching in a way that actually seems to reach the team, that’d be great too. I’m not too picky, I just want to see the team start to get better instead of worse.

3. Consistent goal tending –Look, I really don’t know what you want to do here (but I have some suggestions), but it would be really nice to not cringe every time a puck gets shot at the Oil Kings goaltender. I’m pretty sure it would be nice for the team to feel like their goaltender gives them a chance to win every night too.

4. Some goals – I’m going to level with you, Santa. The offense has been one-dimensional and anemic and that’s just not going to be enough to win games in the second half of the season. Some goals, really from anyone, would be much appreciated by everyone in the stands.

5. A win or two – I really think you bring the first four things on the list, this will take care of itself, Santa. If you wanted to bring some motivation and get the team fired up that would be really nice. Sometimes, when I go to games I feel like I showed up and the team didn’t. I’m really hoping for something different for the New Year.

Santa, I know I’m asking for a lot here, but I’m not just asking for myself. There are a lot of fans that would really like it if you delivered just a few things from my list. We’re really hoping to see some improvements starting on December 27^th.

Anyway, I hope that you can help (because I really don’t know if fans can take a second half like the first. Seven wins in thirty-three games is pretty bad, Santa. I don’t think any group of fans has been that naughty.

Thanks for the help,

Shona