Ex-Oilers forward Ethan Moreau still haunted by Stanley Cup Finals loss
It was nearly years ago, but Ethan Moreau still often finds himself thinking about how close he and his Edmonton Oilers teammates came to winning a Stanley Cup in 2006.
The 2005-06 season was one that Oilers fans still remember vividly. Their regular season was extremely mediocre, as they slipped into the playoffs as the eighth seed. Something changed for them in the playoffs, however, starting with a first-round upset over the Presidents Trophy-winning Detroit Red Wings. They were then able to knock off the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks on their way to the Cup Final.
Matched up against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Oilers gave everything they had in a Cup Final that was one of the most thrilling the sport has seen. Ultimately, the Hurricanes would knock off the Oilers in seven games to win their first-ever championship, something that still bothers Moreau to this day.
“Losing in the finals when you know you’re the better team. I think about it every single day,” Moreau said on The Jason Gregor Show. “I’m not picking on Montreal, shit, I worked for them. But when they lost in the finals, they don’t think about that they lost the Stanley Cup, because they play that 18 times, they lose 18 times. Where, you know the story: we beat Detroit, we beat San Jose, we beat Anaheim. Then we’re like, holy s**t, we’re going to win, right?
“Losing when you’re supposed to win really hurts. You can take some solace that you made it to the finals, and I think I do a little bit, but I don’t think there’s a day that goes by that I don’t think about it. Because why else would I play? You get a lot of money, but you want to win the Stanley Cup.”
“Losing in the finals when you know you’re the better team, I think about it every single day.” – Ethan Moreau
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Though not a skilled player, Moreau was an excellent bottom-six forward on that Oilers team and was a fan favourite during his lengthy stint in Edmonton. He suited up for 653 games as an Oiler and served as their captain from 2007-2010. Since retiring after the 2011-12 season, he has spent time working as a scout, while also dipping his toe into coaching.
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