Here's how the Oilers are going to celebrate Pride this week
The Edmonton Oilers will be hosting their annual Pride night at Rogers Place tomorrow night against the Seattle Kraken.
The celebration of inclusivity will take place when the Seattle Kraken comes to town and will feature players donning Pride Tape in warmups and spotlight multiple LGBTQ2S+ initiatives across Edmonton.
The #Oilers Pride Night tomorrow will feature players donning Pride Tape in warmups and an in-arena transformation featuring Pride colours.
The team has also said they will spotlight LGBTQ2S+ community leaders before the anthems.
— Preston Hodgkinson (@NHLHodgkinson) January 17, 2024
Edmonton’s longtime anthem singer Robert Clarke, a member of the LGBTQ2S+ community, will go about his usual business and sing both the Canadian and American national anthems before puck drop.
“We are looking forward to celebrating the Pride Community in Oil County and shining a spotlight on community leaders who are shifting the paradigm of diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said Tim Shipton, EVP of OEG Communications and Gaming. “EGSE will always stand alongside the 2SLGBTQ+ community as friends, allies, and partners and will always do our best to ensure everyone feels welcome and included in Rogers Place and ICE District.”
Themed Pride jerseys are not expected to be worn by the Oilers after the NHL issued a ban on specialty warmup jerseys after multiple players across the league refused to wear them.
The Oilers have been a trailblazer in the NHL when it comes to advocating for the LGBTQ2S+ community. The franchise was the first in the league to use Pride Tape back in 2016 and Pride nights have become a staple ever since.
Proceeds from the 50/50 draw tomorrow night will go toward MacEwan University’s Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity which will help support community-based research and teaching on topics of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
Dr. Kristopher Wells, the director of the centre and co-founder of Pride Tape, is happy to see the Oilers continue their partnership with the University.
“Our history working with the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation (EOCF) and the Oilers goes back over a decade,” said Wells. “Together, we’ve marched in pride parades, hosted pride nights, launched the Pride Cup, and supported important community groups like Pride Tape, Edmonton Inclusive Hockey Association, Outloud, and the MacEwan Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity.”
Pride Tape, which is an Edmonton-based company, was initially banned by the NHL before the season started. However, after multiple players defied the ban, the league decided to reverse course.
Wells is thrilled that players have embraced the brand and have made sure that Pride Tape is more visible than ever.
“Pride night is an important time of celebration and commitment as we stand alongside the 2SLGBTQ+ community all 365 days of the year!”
Tickets to tomorrow’s game can be found on the Ticketmaster website.
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