EDMONTON, AB - The Edmonton Oilers will celebrate Black History Month at their home game on Wednesday, February 15 against the Detroit Red Wings.
The Celebrating Black History game will feature a variety of in-game elements, including the national anthems performed by local singer, DJ and actor Karella Cummings, as well as intermission analysis from Oilers alumnus Shawn Belle. Tonight's game is an opportunity to learn, share and celebrate the experiences, contributions and accomplishments of Black Canadians.
Limited tickets are still available at EdmontonOilers.com/Tickets.
The Oilers join other teams across the League in celebrating Black History Month as part the Hockey is for Everyone initiative, undertaken jointly by the NHL and the NHLPA to promote inclusion in hockey.
The NHL's Black History Month theme for 2023 is Black Hockey History is NOW, highlighting the significant contributions and invaluable impact that the current and next generation of Black athletes will have on the game of hockey.
The Oilers have been fortunate to have had many prominent Black hockey players throughout their history. Grant Fuhr was the first Black player to have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup (of which he won five with the Oilers) and he was the first Black player to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003.
The 2000-01 Oilers team was historic in its composition, featuring five Black players on the active roster: Georges Laraque, Sean Brown, Anson Carter, Joaquin Gage and Mike Grier. There were 16 Black players in the NHL that season. Currently, the Oilers are proud to have Darnell Nurse and Evander Kane as integral contributors to the team's successes, both on the ice and in the community.
In addition to tonight's game, the Oilers will be hosting the NHL's United by Hockey Mobile Museum celebrating the game's trailblazers, changemakers and business leaders spanning across multiple underrepresented and multicultural demographics, on March 25 in ICE District.
RELEASE: Oilers to celebrate Black History at tonight's game
Festivities present an opportunity to learn, share and celebrate the experiences, contributions and accomplishments of Black Canadians
