Oilers Support Stelter Foundation
EDMONTON -- The legacy of Edmonton Oilers superfan Ben Stelter lives on through the fund bearing his name.
Stelter died at the age of six in August 2022 after a long battle with glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer. The Ben Stelter Foundation was formed by the family with support from Oilers captain Connor McDavid.
“For me, the main thing is that it helps other families that are in a similar situation,” McDavid said. “But it also keeps his name and legacy going, which I think everybody in Edmonton is hoping for and it seems like it’s done that and doing well and it’s doing everything that we hoped.”
Stelter was introduced to the Oilers when he was named the Scotiabank Skater and joined the team on the ice for the national anthems on March 24, 2022, in a game against the Sam Jose Sharks. He became an inspiration to the team and the community through the rest of the season and into the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs when the Oilers made it to the Western Conference Final before they were swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the best-of-7 series.
“It was just his personality, he was so genuine, he had nothing but love and joy to give,” McDavid said. “He was obviously going through the worst thing you could possibly go through and the entire family as well. For me to just to bring that spirt and that kind of mood even going through something like that, it’s a great lesson for all of us.”
Unfortunately for the Stelter family, Ben’s father Mike was diagnosed with cancer in July. He recently completed treatment in Pennsylvania for a tumor growing in his back.
“It’s hard not to feel for them,” McDavid said. “It’s hard to think they went through it with Ben and now to be going through it again with Mike, it just seems so unfair. I think that’s part of the disease, it’s unfair and that’s why it’s important to be there for families who are going through times like these.”
- Derek Van Diest, NHL.com Staff Writer
