Downtown sports bar feels morning buzz with Olympic hockey

Hockey fans in Edmonton were up early and out at the pub to see the Canadian men's hockey team squeak into the semifinals at The Winter Olympics.

It was a nail-biter right to the end, and fortunately for Franco Camminatore and all other sports bar general managers in Edmonton and across the country, Canada will play two more men’s hockey games at the Winter Olympics.

Camminatore’s 1st Rnd location in downtown Edmonton was abuzz Wednesday morning as the Maple Leaf-adorned squad beat Czechia 4-3 in a quarterfinal overtime thriller.

With the win in Italy, Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby and Co. advance to one of two semifinal games on Friday. A victory in the semifinal would punch their ticket to Sunday’s gold-medal match. A loss would send them to the bronze-medal game on Saturday.

The downtown bar was busier than usual early Wednesday, something the general manager says they expected – and hope lives as Canada continues its hunt for gold this weekend.

“We definitely schedule for it and we prepare for it, but you never know,” Camminatore told CTV News Edmonton on Wednesday. “Every team wants to win, so we want (Canada victories) to happen, and we knock on wood that they do, and we’re confident that they will. They are the best players in the world.”

Camminatore’s staff started serving alcohol at 9 a.m. Wednesday for the morning Canada-Czechia game and offered their breakfast menu as well.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Darcy Seaton