Matt Ziprick said his life changed about 18 months ago, when Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch was hired.
The pastor at Bethel Lutheran Church in Sherwood Park said he is often mistaken for the bench boss — and sometimes, doesn’t have the heart to correct fans.
“I pulled into a gas station and the attendant said, ‘Oh, man, I thought you were the Oilers guy,’” Ziprick told Global News.
“Even though he knew I wasn’t, he still gave me his phone and said can you please talk to my brother, and he said, ‘Holy man, you like the coach.’”
During playoffs, Ziprick said these encounters are more common, noting one time when he was in Costco and a table he bought slid out of the cart.
“A stranger came over and helped me reload them, and as he looked up and caught my eye he said, ‘Oh, cool, Kris Knoblauch,’” he said.
“I kind of chuckled because the Oilers were in Utah that night playing, and I thought, ‘He will discover later I’m not Kris Knoblauch.’”
Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch (left) and his doppelganger Matt Ziprick, who is a pastor in Sherwood Park.
Jason Franson/The Canadian Press and Global News
Ziprick even made sure his congregation at Bethel Lutheran knew he wasn’t coaching on the side.
He said in a sermon, “I’m imaging people going up to Kris Knoblauch and saying thanks for the sermon Sunday.”
This attention is all in good fun. Ziprick is a big Oilers fan, and he feels this is a great way to celebrate his team.
“We are going to… play for the cup, I have faith.”
Watch the video above for more.