Edmonton on the radar to host major NHL event in future

When the Edmonton Oilers unveiled the state of the art Rogers Centre in 2016, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman made a promise that the team would be considered as hosts to a major event like the Draft or All Star Game in the near future. The pandemic may have played a role in delaying that, but now new reports from Elliotte Friedman suggest that the Edmonton Oilers are vying to be potential hosts to the All Star Game in the near future.

As of now, the 2025 All Star Game will be cancelled for the NHL's Four Nations Faceoff, and the 2026 game will be hosted by the New York Islanders. It seems that the Oilers are vying to host the 2027 game at the earliest. In addition, the Calgary Flames are planning to construct a new arena to replace the SaddleDome, and the city of Calgary is making Flames ownership make a bid to host the game themselves.




In reality, it's kind of ridiculous that the Oilers haven't played host yet to the All Star game while having Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in their primes. The last time the Oilers hosted the All Star Game was 1989, the year after Gretzky was traded to Los Angeles. It would be a great mistake from the NHL and the Oilers not to give Edmonton the national stage to show off their beautiful arena, passionate fans, and incredible talents on the team. At the very least, the Oilers should be able to host before the Flames do.