Fans began lining up early Thursday morning for an Edmonton Oilers autograph session at West Edmonton Mall.
It was the first time since the 2019-20 season the Oilers held a public autograph signing session. Access to the mall started at 6 a.m. Thursday. The event ran in the evening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Young Oilers fan Matthew Thomas arrived at the mall at 5:20 a.m. with his dad, brother and a few friends. They came prepared with chairs and snacks, ready for a long day of waiting in line.
Thomas and his group were some of the first fans in line for the Connor McDavid signing table.
“He’s a huge part of the city and all of Canada really,” said Thomas, adding McDavid is his favourite player. “He’s the best. He grinds a lot. He puts in the effort every night. Gotta love him.”
Thursday marked the third time Thomas and his family attended the Oilers autograph session.
“We’ve made a couple friends, had a couple of talks with a bunch of people. Everybody is super happy. It’s a good way for the community to come together,” Thomas said.
His dad, James Thomas, who grew up an Oilers fan, said the event means a lot to him and his family, not just for the chance to meet hockey royalty.
“This gives me the opportunity to sit here with my boys and their friends and allows us to have some bonding time. It gives us the opportunity to make good memories and just really enjoy the day. To me this is like having Christmas before Christmas,” the elder Thomas said.
“They’re such a blessing to this city and we’re really blessed to have them. Even if they don’t win every game, you know what? We really appreciate all the hard work they do and all the hits they take for us. We just love them.”
Fans were told to expect long lines, particularly for fan favourites McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Young Oilers fan Domenick Laflamme said he woke up at 4 a.m. but noted the long wait was worth it.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I really want to meet McDavid,” he said. “(When I meet McDavid), I’m just going to say, ‘Hello, nice to meet you and I really like how you play.'”
Kennedy Chester came from Fort Saskatchewan to meet the Oilers and came well-prepared for the long wait.
“We got the day off work and we actually booked a hotel room at the West Edmonton Mall Inn,” she said. “We’re from Fort Saskatchewan so we didn’t want to drive at like 1 a.m.
“We brought a blanket, a little stool to sit on, cards, we bulked up on snacks.”
Chester indicated she expected to be rather shy if given the chance to meet McDavid.
“I’ll probably just stare at him blankly and say nothing,” she said with a laugh. “It’s not going to go well.”
“We are excited to partner with WEM once again to bring back the Oilers autograph session,” said Stew MacDonald, president of OEG Sports and Entertainment.
“The Oilers autograph session has deep roots with WEM dating back to the ’80s, and we know how much this event means to fans across oil country. The players are also looking forward to this event as it’s a great opportunity for them to connect directly with their fans.”
Fans were limited to one autograph per person, per player. People were allowed to bring an item for the players to sign, or the players had player cards available to sign. Organizers said McDavid would only be signing custom Upper Deck photos provided at the table. They said he would be personalizing all signatures.
Post photography opportunities were not available.
“This event provides our guests with an experience like no other, getting up close and personal with all their favourite players while bringing our community together under one roof,” said WEM GM Danielle Woo.
Because of the high demand anticipated for signatures from McDavid and Draisaitl, there were special rules in place for the players. The first 400 fans in line at the McDavid and Draisaitl stations were guaranteed access to their tables. Once in line, fans were allowed to leave for an extended period of time and come back. Mall officials said spots in line would not be held.
Players were set up at tables throughout the mall’s two storeys.
630 CHED’s Inside Sports program was broadcast live from the autograph session between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. The broadcast booth was set up by The Bay, near Oilers players Darnell Nurse and Devin Shore.
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