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Galvanize by using symbolism

The EDMONTON Oilers are tapping into the power of local pride as they head into the Stanley Cup Final. Over the weekend, ice was collected from various rinks significant to the team’s players and shipped to EDMONTON. This ice will be integrated into the ice-making system at the Rogers arena.

The initiative includes ice from the Magna Center in Newmarket, Ontario, where Connor McDavid honed his skills with the York-Simcoe Express AAA from ages 10 to 15. Additionally, ice was sourced from the Harry Howell Twin-Pad Arena in Hamilton, the hometown of defenseman Darnell Nurse.

Winnipeg’s The Rink also contributed ice, representing the off-season training ground for goalie Calvin Pickard. British Columbia is represented by the North Shore Winter Club in Vancouver, where Evander Kane began his minor hockey journey at 14, and the Burnaby Winter Club, where Ryan Nugent-Hopkins played from 2006 to 2008.

Rounding out the symbolic ice collection is the Confederation Leisure Centre in EDMONTON, linked to the hockey program of Stuart Skinner during his high school years.

When the washer will fall instead Rogers For the first match of the Stanley Cup final, Canadians from all over the country will be able to say that it is their ice cream.

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For six oilers players,stepping onto the ice at the Rogers arena on Wednesday will carry extra significance,knowing a piece of their hockey origins is beneath their skates.

Terrie tweddle,head of brand and communications for Rogers,describes the initiative as a unique way to inspire the team. The This Is Our Ice campaign, she says, is about celebrating the collective pride of Canadians.

Kyle turris, who played his final two NHL seasons in EDMONTON before retiring in 2022, supports this sentiment, stating, It really unites our country through the game we love the moast and gives us the impression of being part of the Stanley Cup.

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Superstition?

Kevin Lowe, a former Oilers player and coach, drew parallels between this initiative and a similar event at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

During those games, a Canadian ice maker embedded a 5-cent and a 10-cent coin within the ice, hoping to bring good fortune to the Canadian team. The strategy proved accomplished, as the Canadians defeated the Americans to win the gold medal.

It’s certainly another way to see things, says Kevin Lowe, who was part of the management group for the men’s hockey team in Salt Lake City.

I will never stop surprising that smart people find these kinds of ideas, he added.

The oilers are seeking to avenge their previous loss to the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Panthers from Florida, who won the final series 2-1 last year.