Pair of Oilers skate with fans as part of sports-access fundraising effort

Edmonton Oilers players Calvin Pickard and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins skate with fans at West Edmonton Mall on March 23, 2025. (Evan Kenny/CTV News Edmonton)

A pair of Edmonton Oilers laced up their skates and took to the ice as part of an effort Sunday at West Edmonton Mall to raise money for children playing sports.

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Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Calvin Pickard took the ice at the mall’s Ice Palace, skating with some of their fans and taking part in a meet-and-greet session to raise money for KidSport, a non-profit Edmonton charity that helps with sports registration fees for kids in need.

Nugent-Hopkins, a forward ming off a hat-trick performance the night before for the Oilers in a win over the visiting Seattle Kraken, said he believes every child “deserves a chance to be able to play, whether it’s hockey or a different sports.”

“Obviously, equipment and other things are expensive, (but) that shouldn’t limit kids to not being able to play certain sports,” Nugent-Hopkins told CTV News Edmonton on Sunday.

“I think an organization like this does great work to try to make it available to everybody.”

Backup goalie Pickard said key to the KidSport effort is “getting everybody involved.”

“This event is raising money for that, providing more opportunities for all kids to be in organized sports,” he said.