Lethbridge sports fans flocking to local businesses during Milano Cortina Olympics

Locally, the Winter Olympics have been a busy time for businesses, helping fans show their Canadian pride.

As Canadian sports fans stay glued to their screens to watch the action at the Milano Cortina Olympics in Italy, local businesses are seeing high demand for ways to keep up with Team Canada.

Bert and Mac’s Source for Sports in Lethbridge has seen demand for Olympic gear soar so high all that remains from their stock is a single hockey jersey from the previous Olympics.

Even as the games approach their final days, fans are still coming in looking for gear.

Bert and Mac’s Source for Sports likely won’t see any more gear come in until at least the end of the month. The store’s supervisor Aaron Brown says that’s usually the case during the Olympics.

“(Customers) always want the new latest jersey the players are wearing, whether it’s the ladies or the men’s. We do try to do our best of anticipate that supply and we do our best what we can,” he said.

Bars and restaurants are also doing their best to cater to fans, despite a sizable time difference between Canada and Italy. The operating partner of Hudsons Canada’s Pub in Lethbridge says he is seeing lots of customers come in during the lunch hour.

“We’re doing (an) Olympics at lunch menu. We have all the replays on, and if there’s any games that are going on during the day, we always have them on,” said Jesse Dixon.

This weekend could be a busy weekend for Hudsons if the men’s hockey team makes it to the gold medal game. If so, the pub will host a watch party for the 6:10 a.m. puck drop — the first event of its kind since the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games.

“They’re playing so great. I think the buzz around the team is excitement and everybody’s getting into it,” Dixon said.

“I don’t think we’ll have any issues if they make it to the gold medal to get a big group of people out supporting Team Canada. Hopefully we get to celebrate bringing it home again this year.”