Oilers’ charitable arm begins ‘Best on Best’ 50/50 raffle

With the National Hockey League gone quiet while its best players compete for their home countries in Italy this month, the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation has rolled out its latest contest.

The Best on Best 50/50 raffle is live and runs through Feb. 22 in support of the Every Kid Deserves a Shot initiative and the Hockey Canada Foundation.

“Through our Every Kid Deserves a Shot initiative, we aim to unite the community, remove barriers to sport and help build a future where every child feels inspired, supported and a true sense of belonging—both on and off the ice,” Corey Smith, the community foundation’s board chair, said in a Thursday media release. “As the world’s best athletes gather for top-level international competition, it’s important to remember how they got there. For many families, youth sports and training can be out of reach, which is why we’re proud to partner with the Hockey Canada Foundation through the Best on Best 50/50 raffle to help more kids access the game we all love.”

Also live is the community foundation’s February Bonus Raffle, which will also be drawn Feb. 22. It sat at close to $1.2 million on Thursday morning.

The Best on Best 50/50 also features prizes of two signed Connor McDavid Canada jerseys and two Leon Draisaitl signed Germany jerseys.

The community foundation, whose 50/50 raffle is the largest in professional sports, also unveiled a new Pick To Win game, which offers several prizes.

Every Kid Deserves a Shot, which aims to provide children with greater access to playing hockey, is one of its key initiatives. The non-profit Hockey Canada Foundation works hand-in-hand with the national hockey program to fund and help deliver a wide range of programs aiming to support children playing the game.