Oilers mascot Hunter makes surprise appearance on The Amazing Race
The most recent finale of The Amazing Race Canada had a bit of an Edmonton Oilers flair to it this time around.
In the most recent episode, contestants were in Edmonton competing with each other. One challenge involved the racers finding and delivering objects to the mascots of some of the city’s sports teams.
These mascots included Spike, an elk who represents the CFL’s Edmonton Elks; River, a bird who is a big fan of WCL’s Edmonton Riverhawks; Louie the Lion, the regal mascot of the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings; and, of course, the Oilers-centric lynx named Hunter.
All of these mascots were spread out on Whyte Avenue, and contestants were in a mad dash to find each one. In Hunter’s case, a hockey stick had to be delivered to him for the racers to move on to the next challenge.
"Search for the mascots for us. Bark if you see him!" 🤣 #AmazingRaceCanada pic.twitter.com/fRtNorACOm
— The Amazing Race Canada (@AmazingRaceCDA) September 11, 2024
Hunter has been the Oilers’ mascot for the past nine seasons and is named after Bill Hunter, the team’s original owner. His reveal was initially met with mixed reviews, as fans across the league thought he looked a bit scary to be the mascot of an NHL team. Those criticisms have been dropped for the most part as Hunter has become a fixture at Oilers games and beloved by fans who attend games.
With his debut on The Amazing Race Canada going as well as it did and coming off Edmonton’s run to the Stanley Cup Final last season, it appears that Hunter’s popularity across the country is reaching new heights.
Fans will be able to catch the rambunctious lynx at Oilers home games this season once again as well as the team’s annual Fan Day, which is set to take place on September 22.