The moment is drawing near for that once-a-year special occasion. No, we’re not talking about Christmas; instead, we’re referring to the Edmonton Oilers’ yearly Skills Competition.

The Oilers revealed the schedule for their Skills Competition for 2023–24 on Monday. It is scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 4 at Rogers Place. The sale of tickets will begin this Friday, December 15, at 10:00 a.m.

Seating in the upper bowl costs $15, while seating in the lower bowl costs $20. Tickets can be purchased by visiting EdmontonOilers.com/SkillsCompetition.

In addition to being affordable and family-friendly, the yearly event is always enjoyable. Compared to game nights, it offers fans a more laid-back environment in which to mingle and engage with the players.

The players compete in a variety of individual and team events, such as fastest skater, hardest shot, and most accurate, so it’s not like they don’t get fiercely competitive. New challenges could also arise; one from the previous year involved involving the players’ dogs.

The fastest skater of the previous year, Markus Niemelainen, shocked everyone by unseating frequent winner Connor McDavid to win the title. In the competition for hardest shot, Brett Kulak defeated Darnell Nurse, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins took first place in accuracy.

McDavid will still be the favorite this year even though Niemelainen is the current fastest skater. Evan Bouchard is expected to compete for hardest shot, and the captain of the Oilers will also be considered for most accurate shot.

Of course, raising money for charity comes first, even more so than having a good time. The NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund and the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation will receive the net proceeds.