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If the Canadian men’s hockey team plays in Sunday’s Olympic gold-medal game, Grant Koropatnicki expects 200 customers at The EndZone Bar and Grill.
And, thanks to a request from Hamilton city council last week, they’ll be able to order drinks for the game’s 8 a.m. start.
“When Team Canada plays, it’s a different vibe,” the co-owner of the Hamilton sports bar said Wednesday. “It brings everyone together.”
Usually, bars and restaurants begin serving at 9 a.m., but on Feb. 15, the city announced the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario approved a temporary extension to 6 a.m. It will last until Feb. 22 when the Olympics end. The standard 2 a.m. closing time remains the same and the extension does not apply to outdoor areas.
The commission approved a similar extension for Toronto early this month.
In a news release, the City of Hamilton said it “reminds residents and businesses to celebrate safely and responsibly.”
Does Koropatnicki expect anyone to order a beer at 8 a.m.? “Yeah, sure they will,” he said, adding EndZone plans to have coffee, beers, mimosas and Caesars available.
Some people have raised their eyebrows at the 6 a.m. start time, Koropatnicki said, but EndZone isn’t planning to open that early for bobsleigh. The extension really only “moves the needle” for men’s hockey.
First though, Team Canada has to win in a Friday semi-final against Finland, Switzerland or Sweden. They beat Czechia 4-3 in a tight win-or-go-home quarterfinal that started Wednesday morning at 10:40 a.m.
Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby left their quarterfinal game against Czechia in the second period, with what appeared to be a lower-body injury.
That game drew a few customers, and people have been coming to EndZone to watch the other Canadian men’s and women’s hockey games, Koropatnicki said, most of which have been during normal serving hours.
The Canadian women’s hockey team — which has two players from Burlington, Ont., and one from Hamilton — plays the United States for gold Thursday afternoon at 1:10 p.m.
The Olympics are broadcast and streaming on CBC.
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