WHL Edmonton Oil Kings

WHL Community Collective: Edmonton Oil Kings

Published on June 2, 2023 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Edmonton Oil Kings News Release


The Western Hockey League strives to promote and foster a welcoming community across our 22 clubs scattered throughout Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Every team is given the creative freedom to allow their players and staff to work with the organizations and groups that they are most passionate towards. The end goal is to create and maintain long-lasting relationships and ongoing partnerships within their community.

Through the WHL Community Collective we aim to highlight these outstanding initiatives done by each club over the course of the year.

This is what the Edmonton Oil Kings' #WHLCommunity looked like this season:

"Play together, cheer together, save lives together," was a motto the Edmonton Oil Kings lived by as they continued their well-established partnership with Hockey Gives Blood and Canadian Blood Services over the course of the 2022-23 season.

The Oil Kings' relationship with the two blood-based groups is especially meaningful to the organization since their long-intertwined partnership began in 2018.

As it turns out, Oil Kings head coach Luke Pierce, is also the Vice President and Chairman of the Board for Hockey Gives Blood.

In an interview aired on Sportsnet in October 2021, Pierce explained the importance of getting involved with an organization like Hockey Gives Blood and Canadian Blood Services.

"I think it's a reminder that you never know who it's going to be, and some stranger that donated [blood, could have] helped save someone that you know and love and you kind of want to repay that favour," Pierce said. "I'm glad it sparked a relationship with our team and Hockey Gives Blood and the Canadian Blood Services."

You never know when you or someone you care about may need blood.

By this connection, which began when Pierce joined the Club as an assistant coach during the 2018-19 season, the Oil Kings have been quite involved with the two organizations and through Pierce's leadership the team understands how donating blood can be life-changing to a person in need.

In a similar fashion as years pasts, the 2022-23 Oil Kings took to the clinic - in several outings - to donate their blood and show support toward their partners

The Oil Kings we're also active on their social media platforms, promoting the two organizations while sharing the significance and benefits of donating blood, plasma, and platelets.

In early December, Canadian Blood Services also hosted the Oil Kings for a donation event. The evening saw the entire Oil Kings roster visit the Canadian Blood Services branch in Edmonton to give their blood alongside the supporters and other donors.

Edmonton forward, John Szabo also followed in the footsteps of former teammate, Sebastian Cossa, becoming the newest Oil King to be named a Player Ambassador for Hockey Gives Blood.

Szabo joins a long list of WHL talent who also represent Hockey Gives Blood, including the likes of Regina's Connor Bedard and Kamloops' Logan Stankoven.

With there always being a need for blood donors, Edmonton's long-standing partnership with Hockey Gives Blood and Canadian Blood Services is one that cannot soon be forgotten about.

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Western Hockey League Stories from June 2, 2023


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