After a 50/50 draw from the pre-season went unclaimed, the Edmonton Oilers have announced the money will be rolled over to another game.
That means the prize pot will be carried over to the Oct. 30 game against the Minnesota Wild.
“When there is an unclaimed prize we have to apply to our gaming regulator in order to bring it forward to a game of our choice,” Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation executive director Natalie Minckler said. “We chose the Tuesday game against Minnesota, so that’s where the prize is going to go forward and we’ll start it at $46,000.”
The 50/50 draw is split between the winner, the EOCF and a charity that is volunteering to sell the tickets that night. On Tuesday, a share of the proceeds will go to the YWCA and YMCA of Northern Alberta.
“Traditionally, we have the highest average 50/50 prize of all Canadian NHL teams across the league year after year,” Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation executive director Natalie Minckler said. “It’s always especially exciting to see the prize grow when we start with a carry forward amount.”
Last year the ECOF used over $3.7 million to invest in minor hockey and ringette associations across northern Alberta, as well as supporting various charities.
Last time the pot was rolled over for the Edmonton Oilers, the winner took home over $250,000.
“It’s a wonderful way for fans to support our programs and really help make Edmonton a better place to live,” Minckler said.
As a result of the prize being carried over, the ECOF is expecting higher demand than usual for 50/50 tickets. Minckler says will have additional staff selling tickets and will have more handheld sets ready to hit the concourse.
“We are prepared with the volume of tickets that we need to sell. We’re ready to go.”
The person holding the winning ticket has to claim their prize before 4 p.m. two business days after the time of the announcement at the game.
There are still a few tickets available for Tuesday’s game on the team’s website.