EDMONTON --Diversity, equality and inclusion are important to the Edmonton Oilers, which is why they began hosting the Pride Cup.
"It's always been a priority for our organization to stand up and be seen as a strong ally for the pride community in Oil Country," OEG Sports and Entertainment executive vice president Tim Shipton said. "So many exciting things have come out of Oil County. Andrew Ference was the first captain to march in a Pride parade, you think of Pride Tape being founded here in Edmonton, being used for the first time at an Oilers skills competition and now being used across the League. It's a real source of pride for our organization."
The second annual ball hockey event took place Sunday in the ICE District Plaza, which is adjacent to Rogers Place, with the marquee game featuring two LGBTQ+ teams: the Edmonton Rage and Calgary Pioneers.
The Pioneers would go on to win the game 3-1, avenging a lopsided loss last year. The hope now is to grow the event into a tournament featuring teams from outside Calgary and Edmonton.
"The reason I joined the Pioneers, at first I didn't realize there was a gay league, so finding some mutual friends and having a team like this means a lot," Pioneers player Patrick Caron said. "This is a great event, and it's sweet seeing the amount of people coming out to support us, especially the NHL and WHL players. That means a lot."
Along with the contest between the Rage and Pioneers, the Pride Cup also hosted a game featuring NHL and Western Hockey League alumni. Among those who participated was Nashville Predators defenseman prospect Luke Prokop, who on July 19, 2021, became the first player under contract to an NHL team to come out as gay.
The 21-year-old, who was selected by Nashville in the third round (No. 73) of the 2020 NHL Draft, won the WHL championship with Seattle last season after winning it with Edmonton in 2022. He is expected to play for Milwaukee of the American Hockey League this season.
"It was a big moment for our organization when Luke Prokop came out as the first openly gay NHL prospect, and being a member of the Edmonton Oil Kings, being a local boy, we really felt it was important that Luke knew we were 100 percent behind him," Shipton said. "That was a special moment for our community and organization when you saw all the support that came together for Luke. There have been a lot of these organic moments along the way that have given us momentum, but it started with us trying to show some leadership as an NHL organization."
Former Oilers defensemen Ladislav Smid and Mark Fistric also took part in the alumni game at the Pride Cup, which coincides with Pride Week in Edmonton.
"I think it's important in all aspects that we as a community come out and accept that everyone is equal and you have to treat everybody with dignity and respect," said Fistric, who is now a firefighter in Edmonton. "For myself, being able to play hockey at a high level and even being a firefighter, it's extremely important to know the community you're serving and being accepting of whoever you interact with.
"Edmonton is such a great city and we have such a diverse community, and it's very important that we are accepting of everyone and just grow together as a community. No matter what walk of life you chose, you're just as important as anybody walking next to you."
The third annual Pride Cup will again be held in Edmonton next year.
"This is extremely important, not just for our community, but also for the hockey community," Rage player Zachary Boudreau said. "It's great to see both communities coming together in general and making it more inclusive and letting people know you can play hockey whoever you are, and it's really important for everybody to know that."
