Oilers fan Mark Carney skates with team before Thursday's home game against Jets

Caprice St. Pierre · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Mar 20, 2025 1:28 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

Prime Minister Mark Carney joined the Edmonton Oilers connected the crystal Thursday arsenic the NHL squad prepared for a crippled against the Western Conference-leading Winnipeg Jets.

Carney was sworn successful arsenic Canada's 24th premier minister on March 14 aft winning the Liberal enactment contention to regenerate outgoing premier curate Justin Trudeau. He wore a No. 24 jersey and an Oilers ballcap astatine Rogers Place.

"It's a peculiar infinitesimal for the organization, [having] the premier curate present with the team," Oilers caput manager Kris Knoblauch said. "Not excessively many, I assume, premier ministers person been Oilers fans, truthful it's bully to person 1 that cheers for a bully team."

The 60-year-old Carney grew up successful Edmonton during the Oilers' glory days successful the 1980s, erstwhile they won 5 Stanley Cups.

He said during Edmonton's tally to the last past twelvemonth that helium remains a large instrumentality of the team. Several photos connected societal media amusement him wearing Oilers gear, from squad jerseys to a Connor McDavid "McJesus" shirt.

Carney besides played hockey astatine the varsity level. He was a third-string goaltender astatine Harvard and was co-captain of the Oxford University Blues hockey team.

The premier curate suited up arsenic a skater connected Thursday, but for 1 tiny detail.

"He looked similar a goalie, with those goalie skates," McDavid said. "But yeah, evidently bully to person him here. He's an Oilers fan, a lifelong Oilers fan, and Oilers fans are invited here, for sure."

Carney, erstwhile asked astir the skate hours after, laughed and asked: "What did you think?"

"You whitethorn not deliberation I inactive cognize however to skate, watching maine with the Oilers," helium said astatine an unrelated quality conference. "I didn't autumn down, astatine least."

Although Carney wore goalie skates, McDavid said helium didn't propulsion for the premier curate to instrumentality the nett for a fewer one-timers.

"I'm not definite the information item would similar that precise much," McDavid said. "Obviously a unsocial happening to person to person him here. Cool to conscionable him."

While astatine Harvard, Carney was a teammate of erstwhile Oilers wide manager Peter Chiarelli.

The premier curate was successful Edmonton for a gathering with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.

Carney, who is expected to telephone a national predetermination connected Sunday for a ballot arsenic aboriginal arsenic April 28, faces an uphill conflict successful Alberta, wherever his Liberal Party holds conscionable 2 of the province's 34 seats successful the House of Commons.