Battle of Alberta hockey allegiances split in Red Deer

The old Crown and Anchor bar in Red Deer, Alta., was famous for its line drawn down the middle when hosting hockey fans during the fierce Battle of Alberta playoff games of the late-1980s.

Calgary Flames fans sat on one side. Edmonton Oilers fans were relegated to the other.

NHL allegiances are split in the city of just over 100,000 people that sits within a kilometre of the exact halfway point of the 300-kilometre drive along Hwy. 2 between Calgary and Edmonton.

The Flames host the Oilers in Game 1 in the second round of the NHL playoffs on Wednesday, in a Battle of Alberta of proportions not seen in decades.

"To see both fan bases totally engaged in playoffs is something that has just never happened in a lot of people's life times who are under the age of 40," said Merrick Sutter, senior vice-president of the Red Deer Rebels, and nephew of Flames coach Darryl Sutter. "We see it every day in Red Deer, just the sheer nature of being exactly in the middle."

While it marks the sixth time the two teams have battled in the NHL post-season, it's the first time in 31 years. The Oilers own a 4-1 series record.

WATCH l 9 Battle of Alberta moments…in 90 seconds:

The Rebels tweeted, tongue in cheek, on Monday: "Pray for Red Deer."

Red Deer actually wins, no matter which team emerges victorious, said Mayor Ken Johnston.

"Really, every city from Fort McMurray in the north to Lethbridge in the south is going to benefit from the series, the bars, the restaurants, the hospitality industry, the ability for people to come together and socialize, and it couldn't come at a better time from that perspective. People are just so eager to get out and be in person.

The Mayor's allegiances, he wasn't afraid to admit, are with the Flames. He