For some sailors, the names of the ships at CFB Esquimalt offer a taste of home.
“Each one of these ships are named after cities,” says HMCS Edmonton Lieutenant Commander Les Gunderson.
Gunderson is at the helm of HMCS Edmonton, and for a native of Camrose, AB., there couldn’t be a better fit.
“This makes 20 years for me in the navy, and I haven’t regretted a single day,” he said Thursday.
Like any other warship, HMCS Edmonton proudly flies Canada’s colours, but recently there’s been another pennant flapping in the breeze.
An Edmonton Oiler flag identifies this ship as an extension of “Oil Country.”
“By the laws of the sea, this is Edmonton territory,” quipped Gunderson. The flag was hoisted during the Oilers first round series with the LA Kings, and the Oilers social media crew took notice on May 1st, re-tweeting an image of the Oiler flag flying high above the Salish Sea.
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Spotted in the Salish Sea just south of Victoria ⚓️👀
The HMCS Edmonton @CanadianForces coastal defence vessel is proudly flying our flag! The ship’s captain, Lieutenant-Commander Leslie Gunderson, is fittingly from Edmonton & even has an #Oilers tattoo.#LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/FrrcoeNokI
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) May 1, 2024
Turns out oil and water mix well come playoff time.
When the Oilers versus Canucks matchup was announced last week, Gunderson says there was some good-natured ribbing over the radio between HMCS Edmonton and HMCS Vancouver, both docked in Esquimalt.
But after Wednesday’s series-opening win, it’s been all float, no gloat for HMCS Vancouver.
“They’re into the second round, they just won the Pacific Division, they just won game one, I think their confidence level’s just going to go through the roof over there,” said Gunderson.
While he’s bracing for a friendly, verbal shot across the bow, Gunderson isn’t afraid of floating out a prediction.
“Edmonton’s going to come out on top in seven,” he says. “But Vancouver’s a great team.”
The full report can be viewed below:
Jordan Cunningham
