EDMONTON, AB – Welcome to Rogers Place, Prime Minister Mark Carney.
The Prime Minister of Canada paid a visit to ICE District on Thursday and took to the ice at Rogers Place during morning skate wearing a No. 24 Blue & Orange jersey before taking in tonight's all-Canadian matchup between the Edmonton Oilers the Winnipeg Jets.
Carney met with Oilers GM & Executive VP of Hockey Operations Stan Bowman and Edmonton's coaching staff inside the Oilers dressing room before being escorted by Head Coach Kris Knoblauch and Assistant Coach Paul Coffey to the coaches room to gear up and join the team on the ice.
The 24th Prime Minister of Canada pulled on his old goalie skates, a pair of gloves, his Oilers jersey and grabbed a stick before hitting the ice at Rogers Place and taking some passes and shots with the team for close to 15 minutes. When his first warm-up shot hit the back of the net, the Prime Minister gave a hearty fist-pump, conveying his excitment of getting the opportunity to skate on the ice of the team he's cheered for all his life.
Carney shook hands with the players and coaches, shared a long talk with Goaltending Coach Dustin Schwartz, and took some shots against Calvin Pickard between the pipes. Winger Connor Brown supplied the passes from along the boards.
Born in Fort Smith, NWT in 1965, Carney was raised in Edmonton and grew up an Oilers fan before tending the twine for Harvard University, where he was roommates with former General Manager Peter Chiarelli. Carney went to St. Francis Xavier High School and played on the outdoor rinks of Parkview and Laurier Heights during his Edmonton upbringing.
"A special moment for the organization to have the Prime Minister here with the team," Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said. "Not too many former Prime Ministers have been Oilers fans, so it's nice to have one that cheers for the good team."
