I’m no stranger when it comes to losing. 

And after all the losses I’ve had I’d like to say I think I’ve mastered losing like a winner. Even if you’re not the one on the ice or the field, suffering a loss as a fan can still hurt badly. 

How have I mastered handling loss and losing like a winner, well to look at the most recent stats the Oilers lost to the Canucks last night. And obviously if you follow hockey you know the devastating loss Oilers fans went through in the Stanley Cup final last June.

I used to get super angry with sports losses. Like, super angry. To the point where it was kinda taking over my days after the loss. I’d carry the negative energy with me even into the next game. It was getting bad. So I decided I only had one option. I had to figure out how to lose.

1. Keep the perspective. It’s not over till it’s over. (Unless you’re in the Stanley Cup final playing Florida.) Sometimes hope is all you got, it’s never too late to turn things around. (Unless you’re in Florida for the Stanley Cup Final). Just be positive 🙂
2. It’s out of your hands. You’re not the one on the ice. You’re not the coach. You can’t change the game so just let it all happen. Try to enjoy the ride. 
3. It’s just a game. Sports is about having fun, being a fan is fun, so keep it fun, don’t let these losses interfere with your personal life, trust me it can get messy.
4. Have a “next time” mind set. (Unless you’re in the Stanley Cup final playing Florida.) then, in that case, there isn’t really a “next time”

All in all, sports are sports, nothing is that serious, maybe unless you have a lot of money on the line and you’re out big then you can feel the pain, but other than that, keep calm and remain positive.

The old me would’ve carried last night’s loss to Vancouver into all of today, mad at all the Vancouver fans who feel so happy, but the new me who has learnt how to lose like a winner has let it go, (kinda). 

Vancouver will visit Edmonton ice on Thursday, January 23. The last time these two teams will battle it out this season. Will Edmonton create a win having the home ice advantage? Or will Vancouver keep their win streak against the Oilers alive for this year? Either way, it’s out of my hands and I’ll be handling either situation with grace (to the best of my ability).