'Great atmosphere' on Whyte Avenue say police

Edmonton police arrested 40 people during celebrations along Whyte Avenue Wednesday night following an Oilers win in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup final.

Police spokesperson Jeff Wuite called it a "great atmosphere" as jubilant hockey fans celebrated along the trendy street.

"We're not here to stop anybody's fun at all," he said. "In fact, to a lot of people that were just high-fiving and having a good time and horn-honking, they were pretty pleased with the way things were going because there weren't those people getting out of hand and climbing the light post."

The decision to crack down on minor infractions helped control the crowds, Wuite said. Police are strictly enforcing liquor laws in order to prevent property damage or violence on the avenue, he said.

On June 10, thousands of cheering Oilers fans filled Whyte Avenue after their team beat the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

During the celebration, police made 205 arrests, mostly for liquor offences. Most of those arrested were held overnight and released. Only a handful faced criminal charges.