Oilers Go Viral After Having Players’ Dogs Race Each Other On The Ice During Skills Competition

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Over the past few years, the NHL has tried to figure out a way to give fans more incentive to tune into the events that comprise its All-Star Weekend, and the Oilers may have stumbled upon the perfect solution: a race involving dogs that belong to its players.

The Edmonton Oilers got off to a pretty rough start this season thanks to some atrocious goaltending and a fairly concerning lack of production from Connor McDavid, who certainly didn’t look like he was still the best player in the league when the year began.

However, they’ve managed to bounce back in a big way after replacing former head coach Jay Woodcroft with Kris Knoblauch and currently boast a 20-15-1 record with the help of a couple of lengthy winning streaks (including an ongoing seven-game run that stretches back to December).

The vibes in Edmonton are currently pretty immaculate, and that reality was only cemented by what we were treated to when the Oilers held a skills competition for fans who gathered at Rogers Place on January 4th.

That showdown gave members of the team the chance to show off their shooting and skating prowess, but the highlight of the evening was easily the “Ruff Ruff Relay,” an event where players’ dogs got the chance to run from the goal crease to the opposing blue line as quickly as possible.

McDavid’s dog Lenny won the inaugural Ruff Ruff Relay in 2023, but the fact that he decided to head off the ice about as soon as he stepped onto it this year opened up the door for the rest of the competition.

Here’s to hoping the NHL is taking notes.