In this remote northern community, Oilers-mania runs deep [Video]

In Whatì, Northwest Territories, there are two big questions on everyone’s mind right now: When will the lake be ice-free to set fishing nets, and will their beloved Edmonton Oilers win the Stanley Cup?

“We’ve been Oilers fans since the beginning, since birth,” Gerry Nitsiza says, adding in a boisterous cheer, “We want Cup! We want Cup!”

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Whatì, a remote Dene community 160 kilometres northwest of Yellowknife, is a quiet place known mostly for traditional pursuits such as caribou and moose hunting, fishing and trapping. The picturesque community sits on the shore of Lac La Martre, the third-largest lake in the Northwest Territories. One-of-a-kind beadwork and moccasins are found here. Foxes, rabbits and the occasional black bear roam the bushes nearby. But Whatì is also known as Oilers Nation North – almost every one of the …