The Edmonton Oilers will have a Pride night this upcoming season.
The Oilers unveiled their theme game schedule for the 2023-24 campaign, and it features a Pride night which will take place on January 18 in a game versus the Seattle Kraken.
What exactly the Oilers will do for Pride night remains to be seen. Earlier this offseason, the NHL announced that they would be eliminating specialty warmup jerseys for different themed nights, including Pride Night. While not confirmed, many believe this was implemented to take away from the bad press that came last season, with some players choosing to opt out of wearing the Pride jerseys during warmups. This decision was met with disappointment from Oilers captain Connor McDavid.
“I certainly can’t speak for every organization. I know in Edmonton, we were one of the first teams to use the Pride Tape,” McDavid said at the time. “I know in Edmonton, in our dressing room, we strongly feel hockey is for everybody, and that includes Pride nights and stuff like that. Of course, it’s disappointing to see. With that being said, that’s certainly way above my decision. It’s not my call, but it’s disappointing to see.
“Everyone has their beliefs. I can’t speak on those. All I can speak for is myself and us in Edmonton, and I know we strongly support those types of nights.”
Along with their Pride Night, the Oilers will have an Indigenous Celebration night, a Hockey Fights Cancer night, and they will also have a night dedicated to honouring the Canadian Armed Forces. They’re also set to introduce some new themed nights, including Ukrainian Heritage Night, Black History Night, a night dedicated to the South Asian community, and one celebrating the Lunar New Year. Whether an Oilers fan or not, you have to give serious props to the organization for doing what they can to make their games inclusive for all.
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