The Edmonton Oilers took a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Dallas Stars with a 4-1 win in Game 4 of the Western Conference NHL Final. But the victory came with a heavy price.

Head coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed the veteran Forward Zach Hyman’s season is “most likely done” due to an upper-body injury. And this announcement crushed many fans. But coach Kris has been trending among the Oilers fans for yet another reason.

At first glance, the man outside Rogers Place looks every bit like Kris Knoblauch. Only, it wasn’t the Edmonton Oilers head coach. It is Matt Ziprick, a local pastor who’s become an unexpected playoff sensation simply being a doppelganger. In a heartwarming story by CityNews, captured by reporter Hiba Kamal-Choufi, Edmonton-area pastor Matt Ziprick is seen embracing unexpected fame after being repeatedly mistaken for Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch. With strikingly similar features, Ziprick shares how the mix-ups have become a “blessing” during the Oilers’ playoff run.

Ziprick admits that the Oilers’ hiring of Knoblauch 18 months ago altered the course of his daily life, leading to everything from mistaken photo requests to one memorable encounter where a stranger, convinced he was Knoblauch, handed him a phone, “Even though he knew I wasn’t, he still gave me his phone and said can you please talk to my brother.” A woman once said to Ziprick, “I’m a big fan of yours.” But she meant hockey. “And I thought she heard my sermon,” Ziprick laughed.

Despite never having met the real Knoblauch, Ziprick embraces the coincidence. “I definitely want Kris to realize just how much people appreciate him and like him because people seem to like me because I look like Chris. And so, um, I’m going to ride the wave, I guess. ”

Kris Knoblauch and His Doppelgänger took over Game 4 news

Kris Knoblauch was named the 18th head coach in Edmonton Oilers history on November 13, 2023. Prior to that, Knoblauch made headlines in junior hockey with the Erie Otters, where he orchestrated an unprecedented four consecutive 50-win seasons and won the OHL title in 2017. His coaching journey began in 2006-07 with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders before moving to the Kootenay Ice, where he eventually claimed a WHL championship in his debut season as head coach in 2010-11. As a player, he logged over 200 WHL games and spent time with the University of Alberta and the Austin Ice Bats before transitioning behind the bench.

Game 4 of the Western Conference Final took the mix-up to new viral heights. But this time, intentionally. Dressed in a suit and tie, Ziprick showed up behind the Dallas Stars bench at Rogers Place, looking every bit the part of a coach. The Sherwood Park pastor not only made it onto the Sportsnet broadcast but also appeared on the big screen with Oilers mascot Hunter holding a sign that read, “I’m the real Kris Knoblauch.”

Fans watching the Oilers defeat the Stars couldn’t believe their eyes. Many were convinced they were seeing Knoblauch sitting among them. But Ziprick, who has been fielding mistaken identities across town for months, leaned into the moment with charm and humor. His growing local celebrity status has now made him an unofficial face of the Oilers’ playoff run, adding a dose of light-hearted fun to Edmonton’s Stanley Cup chase.