Oilers fan cracks up Draisaitl with amazing custom-made Ceci shirt
When the Edmonton Oilers do their annual autograph signing, players never know what kind of zany things fans will bring them.
While most are looking to get their jerseys or hats signed, some will go the extra mile and bring them things like shoes and purses or even ask for autographs on their arms.
The vast majority of these out-of-pocket requests are met with laughter, and when captured on video, they provide hilarious and wholesome interactions between professional players and their fan base that aren’t often seen.
This year was no different, only it wasn’t an autograph request that cracked up Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl — it was a custom-made shirt featuring former Oilers defenceman Cody Ceci. It was so good that Draisaitl stopped the fan from leaving to take a photo of it.
Hey guys. Draisaitl took a photo of me. And my shirt. Like he pulled out his phone to take a photo. I’m gonna die pic.twitter.com/NLmiLSnYEt
— C (@cecidrais) October 24, 2024
The shirt featured a screenshot of Ceci’s Game 7 goal against the Vancouver Canucks last season with an overlay of his team headshot on top. His “Mr. Game 7” nickname was at the bottom while the dates he joined and left the Oilers were featured on the back.
Photo provided by @cecidrais/X
Daily Hive was able to get in contact with the fan, who goes by “C,” and they revealed that they spent over $100 to get the shirt made in the moments after Ceci was traded to the San Jose Sharks this summer.
“I know Ceci wasn’t the best defenceman in the world but he brought real value to the team and I was really going to miss him,” C said. “I opened Photoshop Express on my phone and just went to work… An insane thing to do on my end, to be honest. But the entire process probably took 30 minutes.
“I think I paid like $50 for the actual shirt and $60 for the express shipping.”
Going to Draisaitl’s table was a calculated move by C. They knew of the friendship between the two players and while C didn’t expect that type of reaction from Draisaitl, they knew that he was the player who would appreciate the shirt the most.
“It’s also a bit of a running joke that he and Ceci have a pretty tight relationship, so I thought the shirt might mean something important to him,” C explained. “I understand Ceci wasn’t everyone’s favourite so I just thought Leon should know that the guy had actual people rallying for him.”
Draisaitl and Ceci were two of C’s favourite players on the Oilers over the past couple of seasons. They say that Draisaitl stopping them to get a photo of the shirt was not something they ever expected to happen. The hope is that the picture will somehow make its way back to Ceci.
“I couldn’t believe it and I was shaking so hard as I was walking away I thought I lost my signed card,” C said of the experience. “I think as a fan, you just hope that the players know their importance to you, so to actually get that was beyond incredible.
“I think I’m still in shock.”
These autograph sessions are meant to create unforgettable moments for fans and, for C, Draisaitl did just that.