Vancouver, B.C. – The Vancouver Canucks are proud to host their fifth annual Black Excellence game tonight, as they face the Dallas Stars. The game serves as a meaningful celebration in honour of Black History Month and recognizes the impact and contributions of the community. Black History Month is part of Hockey Is For Everyone, a joint initiative by the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players' Association that celebrates diversity and inclusion across the sport.
“We are proud to recognize Black History Month and celebrate the achievements, culture, and lasting contributions of the Black community alongside our fans,” said Michael Doyle, President, Canucks Sports & Entertainment, Business Operations. “This night provides an opportunity to reflect on a powerful legacy, uplift important stories, and come together for a meaningful and memorable celebration.”
This year’s Black Excellence logo was created by Nigerian–Canadian artist Ejiwa “Edge” Ebenebe. The design thoughtfully reimagines the iconic skate logo, keeping it intact while incorporating deeply personal and cultural elements that reflect her beautiful Nigerian heritage and unique lived experiences. Her design features such visual notes as the Nigerian flag, beautiful patterns like those found hand-carved on a ‘calabash’ utensil, and the sun-baked gold of the Yellow Trumpet, Nigeria’s national flower.
This limited-edition logo is part of a special retail collection featuring Ebenebe’s design, including hoodies, t-shirts, pucks, keychains, and more. Items are available now at the team store and online at Vanbase.ca.
Celebrate Black Excellence! Highlights of the night include:
- Party on the Plaza: Arrive early and be part of the celebration as Party on the Plaza gets underway at 5:00 pm. Fans can enjoy a live set from DJ Sheckle and experience a lively limbo performance by Limbo for All, creating an energetic atmosphere ahead of puck drop.
- In-Game Entertainment: The celebration will continue throughout the evening with special guest host Seb Elimbi. Agasha Mutesasira will perform powerful renditions of the national anthems to open the game, while Lord Nation will deliver dynamic violin performances during intermissions, adding to a vibrant and memorable game-night experience.
- Black Excellence Celebration Market: Explore the market on the concourse between Sections 101–103, featuring vendors and organizations from the community.
- Tommie's Jerk: Stop by Tommie’s Jerk Jamaican Cuisine to learn about their flavourful foods and fresh ingredients.
- **BC Black History Awareness Society**: Learn more about the British Columbia Black History Awareness Society (BCBHAS), which celebrates the achievements of Black people in British Columbia by creating an awareness of the history of Blacks in B.C.!
- Naa Sheka: Shop Naa Sheka’s designs! NaaSheka is a fusion of afrocentric and western influence, a blend of her two heritages. Using traditional West African textiles into a high quality comfortable line, the two collections are street wear/lifestyle and an exclusive collection hand crafted in Ghana, West Africa. These pieces are limited and only produced once per collection. Naa Sheka was also the artist who created the 2024.25 Black Excellence Canucks logo!
- Women of Colour Hockey Collective: Stop by and learn about Women of Colour Hockey Collective! They are A Canadian non-profit organization empowering women and girls of colour in hockey through access, opportunity, and community.
- Exclusive Merch: Don’t forget to check out the Canucks team store to shop the new Black Excellence Collection, featuring t-shirts, hoodies, pucks, pins, buttons, and lanyards, also available on Vanbase.ca.
The Canucks for Kids Fund will also make a $20,000 donation to the BC Black History Awareness Society in support of their impactful initiatives.
Be a part of this special night! Grab your tickets for the Vancouver Canucks Black Excellence celebration HERE!
For more information on our community initiatives and Community & Fan Engagement Nights, visit community.canucks.com. For tickets to these experiences, visit tickets.canucks.com.
