Fans buzzing for game 7 at East Hamilton’s Endzone bar

It all comes down to this. Game 7 winner moves on to the Eastern Conference final. Will the Leafs or Panthers fans be celebrating at the final buzzer?

CHCH Danielle de Graauw spoke with fans at the Endzone bar and grill in East Hamilton to see how fans are coping and how businesses are prepping.

This is a big night for sports bars in our area, game 7 means not only big prep but a big jump in sales.

Greg Koropatnicki is the owner of Enzone Bar and Grill in Hamilton. He says sales jump a good 60 percent when there’s big event games like this, reservations are up too and he’s hoping the dj he’s invited tonight will be hosting a Leafs win after party.

“We got a dj for after the game, the Leafs are a big thing. Usually the Sunday of a long weekend wouldn’t be as busy” said Koropatnicki.

Over at Bo’s sports bar in Waterdown, preparations for tonight’s game are underway too.

Owner Missy Alexopoulls says all Leaf games are busy and with tonight being game 7, they have rearranged the schedule to bring in more staff to deal with the influx of hockey fans.

“Leaf games are the favourite time of the year. Everyone is in such good spirits, they’re rooting for the home team, everyone comes out dressed in their jerseys” Alexopoulls said.

CL is the bartender at Bo’s sports bar, she says she was born the year after the last time the Leafs won the Stanley Cup and doesn’t think tonight will be their night.

Back at Endzones, we found a few fans who think the Leafs will come out on top tonight.

“I feel like Toronto, a high scoring team, they’re going to get a couple of goals. They seem to be frazzled when the other team is pushing so they’re going to get that one extra goal” one Leaf fan said.

Ken Courtis was working at Dofasco the last time the Leafs won the Stanley Cup and says he wished he got it off work.

“It would be nice to see them finally win because I started working the last time they did” Courtis said.

“I’m really hoping that they win. it would be so exciting to watch. everyone would be so excited. canadian team would be thrilled. toronto fans would be thrilled. hoping that they win 3-1” Renata Povilauskas, a Leafs fan said.