TAIT: Oilers Foundation helps foster hockey spirit

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Edmonton is getting bigger.

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As the Edmonton Oilers prepare to begin the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Vancouver Canucks, atmospheric temperatures are rapidly rising.

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Introducing Maylan Khan. Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation Executive Director This phrase I think about every day is so awful that… well, you decide for yourself.

The spirit of hockey.

I think those four words are pretty comprehensive, so I'll type them again.

The spirit of hockey.

Pretty cool, don't you think?

Sure, it's playoff time and every shot, save, pass, faceoff, and many other hockey basics are so important.

But in our community, Edmonton and the surrounding area, commonly known as oil country by the oil industry, with countless people in difficult situations, we have one small thing that makes a lot of sense. You can.

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That thing?

Hope.

Since EOCF's humble beginnings in 2001, more than 2,900 charities and small hockey programs have received funding.

The Oilers also dominate the most successful gameday 50/50 tie in professional sports.

Fans took note of a number of gaudy numbers as the Oilers dispatched the Los Angeles Kings in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Wednesday.

The most notable thing outside of Edmonton's 4-3 win was the $2.8 million 50/50 jackpot.

He has earned $20 million and $17 million over the past two seasons, respectively, which is a whopping $37 million over two years.

The spirit of hockey.

EOCF is providing children who cannot normally play with skates and gloves on their hands, skates and socks on their feet, pads for their knees and elbows, and most importantly, a helmet. This is a wonderful initiative.

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Thinking about creating a National Hockey League is good for a young person's ambition portfolio.

Sometimes those dreams are expressed triumphantly in live Technicolor and are something to be wholeheartedly celebrated.

Such achievements come from hard work, discipline, and sacrifice – life skills learned and applied to a list of lifelong “must haves.”

Success involves a lot more than just hockey.

EOCF creatively comes up with ways to fund programs that make hockey inclusive and meaningful to people who can't physically play the game, but who can learn and grow from it. I did.

This place is really close to your home.

I have cerebral palsy and can't play games.

Still, 60 years ago, my parents brought a tall stool and planted all four feet in a snowbank on the south side of the Linwood Community League's outdoor rink so I could sit and watch my first hockey game. He made it for me.

It was the opening night of a lifetime hockey schedule, where I learned about power plays, breakouts, penalty kills, and much more.

More importantly, I made lifelong friends and learned the value of how to compete, how to treat people with respect, and how to change your game plan with little money.

I've never played the game.

Oh, yes. The spirit of hockey.

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