Deep down, part of Doug Weight would love to celebrate with all those loonie Oilers supporters on Edmonton's famous Whyte Mile.
That's understandable, seeing as the veteran centre spent nine enjoyable seasons in the self-proclaimed City of Champions.
But Weight also knows that he might receive a beer shampoo from those rabid Oilers fans if he showed his face on the streets there.
The Carolina Hurricanes forward, making his first trip to the NHL final, is the enemy now.
The Canes earned their Stanley Cup berth with a 4-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres Thursday night, eliminating Lindy Ruff's team in six games.
Standing in the way of Carolina's first championship in franchise history are those same Oilers, who will kick off the final against the 'Canes in Raleigh on Monday.
Throw it all together, and it leaves Weight with mixed emotions.
"Human nature dictates that it is a weird feeling," Weight said. "In fact, I was thinking about how crazy (Edmonton) must have been back when they defeated Detroit in the first round.
"Listen, I love Craig MacTavish and am so happy for guys there like Ryan Smith and Jason Smith. They deserve it.
"Having said that, my goal is to beat them."
Weight left the Oilers in 2001, choosing to accept the big bucks in free agency thrown at him by the St. Louis Blues.
But that move -- and his subsequent trading to the 'Canes earlier this season --has not dampened his memories of his days in Alberta.
"I'm proud of what we accomplished during my time in Edmonton," Weight said.
"I feel like we overachieved there. We didn't have the big-time payrolls of some of the teams we met in the playoffs, but we were united and grew as a team.
"I don't think we were ever outclassed, but we just didn't have the financial resources of some of the other teams."
Now that the salary cap is in place, that is no longer the case.
That's why you have a Stanley Cup final featuring Edmonton and Carolina, two of the smallest markets in the NHL.
