Hockey Fights Cancer Hits the Edmonton Oilers Close to Home
For the upcoming Hockey Fights Cancer Night at the Edmonton Oilers’ home arena, the annual campaign takes on a deeply personal tone for the team and the community. What began as a league-wide initiative to raise awareness and funds for cancer research has hit especially close to home in Edmonton this year.
Personal connections bring added urgency
Two significant stories bring the campaign into sharp relief for the Oilers organization.
First, long-time sports reporter John Sexsmith — a fixture of Edmonton’s sports scene for more than two decades — passed away after a 13-year battle with prostate cancer. Sexsmith covered the Oilers earnestly, connecting with fans, players, coaches and the broader community. His work extended beyond reporting; he served as a high-performance coach with Hockey Alberta and mentored emerging coaches. His passing underscores how cancer touches not just anonymous sufferers, but respected, familiar voices in the sports family.
Second, the Oilers’ anthem singer since 2010, Robert Clark, has publicly announced his diagnosis of hairy-cell leukemia and is about to begin treatment. Clark’s voice has set the tone at Oilers’ home games, and his diagnosis now amplifies the reality of cancer in arenas and communities alike.
What it means for the campaign
It’s one thing to wear purple tape and host a special game night. But when the people you see regularly at the rink—someone in the press box, someone singing the anthem—are directly affected by cancer, this year’s Hockey Fights Cancer campaign holds deeper resonance.
For supporters, the event becomes less of a symbolic gesture and more of personal tribute: to teammates, friends, colleagues, fans. The Oilers organization acknowledges this shift in tone explicitly. The campaign isn’t just raising awareness; it’s honouring lived experience, remembrance and active support within the team’s extended family.
What fans can expect
On November 28, during the Oilers’ game at home, the team will again roll out its Hockey Fights Cancer initiative. Limited-edition items such as mittens bearing the Oilers’ lavender logo will be available, with proceeds directed to causes like the Kids With Cancer Society and the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation. The symbolic elements—purple jerseys, themed lighting, special announcements—still remain. But this year they carry added emotional weight, given the real stories behind them.
The broader impact
The NHL’s Hockey Fights Cancer initiative has long sought to leverage the sport’s reach to drive conversation, screening efforts and donations around cancer. In Edmonton’s case, the campaign intersects with local loss and current battles, reminding us how cancer doesn’t discriminate between press box, ice, bench or crowd.
For the community, that story hits especially hard: it’s about a journalist who became a mentor, a singer whose role is woven into game night, and their journeys with disease. The campaign becomes an opportunity not only for collective solidarity but for personalized acknowledgement of those who have fought or are fighting.
A call to action
With the backdrop of genuine personal connections, the Oilers’ Hockey Fights Cancer night is more than a ceremonial event—it’s a reminder of why the fight matters. Fans are encouraged to:
Participate by purchasing the limited-edition merchandise, knowing proceeds serve specific cancer-related charities.
Watch for tributes and acknowledgments during the game that spotlight Sexsmith’s legacy and Clark’s upcoming treatment journey.
Reflect on the message that cancer is part of our shared community—not just a distant issue.
Consider screening, support networks or volunteering, inspired by the stories of individuals within the hockey world.
In closing
For the Edmonton Oilers and their fans, this year’s Hockey Fights Cancer night means something different. It’s not simply about awareness—it’s about people they know, care about, and see regularly in the arena. As the campaign slogan runs across the boards and jerseys, the faces behind it matter more than ever. The team is reminding us that hockey can unite, raise hope, and mobilize community support in
the face of an invisible opponent.
