This Is Our Ice Turns Edmonton’s Stanley Cup Run Into a National Story
As the Edmonton Oilers fight to bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada, the stakes of bringing the series back to “home ice” for Game Seven means more than ever. Not only are the Edmonton Oilers chasing the championship, their playoff run has become a case study in how brands can transform cultural moments into powerful national narratives.
From “Our Game” to “Our Ice”
At the center of this story is This Is Our Ice, a campaign developed by Rogers and rooted in Canada’s deep emotional connection to hockey. The campaign is an evolution of Rogers' broader This Is Our Game platform, first introduced during the 4 Nations Face-Off. Now, as the Oilers fight for the Cup, the message has become even more personal.
Rogers collected ice from the community rinks where several Oilers players first laced up their skates. That hometown ice was transported to Edmonton and integrated into the Rogers Place rink for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, turning every faceoff, goal, and save into a moment layered with meaning.
The campaign is part of the broader This Is Our Game platform, first launched at the 4 Nations Face-Off and carried into the playoffs. Now, with This Is Our Ice, the message becomes even more personal. Rogers collected ice from the local rinks where several Oilers players first learned the game. That ice was brought to Edmonton and added to the rink for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.
The Rinks That Built the Oilers
The campaign pays tribute to the specific places where today’s stars began their hockey journeys:
Magna Centre in Newmarket, Ontario for Connor McDavid
North Shore Winter Club in Vancouver, British Columbia for Evander Kane
Harry Howell Twin-Pad Arena in Hamilton, Ontario for Darnell Nurse
Burnaby Winter Club in Burnaby, British Columbia for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Confederation Arena in Edmonton, Alberta for Stuart Skinner
The Rink in Winnipeg, Manitoba for Calvin Pickard
For fans, this simple gesture turns the Stanley Cup Final into something bigger than one team. It links small-town arenas and community rinks across the country to hockey’s biggest stage.
Marketing Takeaways: Simplicity, Emotion, and Cultural Relevance
Speaking to the campaign’s intent, Terrie Tweddle, Chief Brand and Communications Officer at Rogers, said:
“Hockey’s biggest stage should reflect where the game truly begins, in hometown hockey rinks across Canada.”
The campaign works because it connects on multiple levels:
Emotional resonance: By spotlighting hometown roots, Rogers taps into childhood dreams and national identity.
Local-to-national activation: It draws Canadians from every region into the narrative, no matter where they live.
Authenticity: The campaign doesn’t feel manufactured. It feels organic, rooted in the real stories of real players.
Scalable storytelling: The concept is visually rich and highly shareable across broadcast, digital, and social platforms.
Why This Matters for Marketers
As marketers look for ways to engage audiences in fragmented media environments, This Is Our Ice offers a strong reminder: sometimes the most effective campaigns don’t require massive production budgets or celebrity endorsements. Instead, they succeed by tapping into authentic stories, shared identity, and cultural pride.
Whether or not the Oilers bring the Cup back to Canada, This Is Our Ice has already delivered a masterclass in emotional brand storytelling during one of Canada’s biggest sporting moments of the year.
Now, when the puck drops, it is not just Edmonton’s ice. It is ours.
