Prime Minister Mark Carney joined the Edmonton Oilers on the ice Thursday, as the NHL team prepared for a game against the Western Conference-leading Winnipeg Jets.
Carney took the ice wearing No. 24. He was sworn in as the 24th prime minister of Canada on March 14 after winning the Liberal leadership race to replace outgoing prime minister Justin Trudeau.
The 60-year-old Carney grew up in Edmonton during the Oilers’ glory days in the 1980s.
He said during the Oilers’ run to the Stanley Cup final last year that he remains a big fan of the team. Several photos on social media show him wearing Oilers gear, from team jerseys to a Connor McDavid “McJesus” shirt.
Carney also played hockey at the varsity level. He was a third-string goaltender at Harvard and was co-captain of the Oxford University Blues hockey team.
While at Harvard, he was a teammate of former Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli.
Carney was in Edmonton for a meeting with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.
Carney, who is expected to call a federal election on Sunday for a vote as early as April 28, faces an uphill battle in Alberta, where his Liberal Party holds just two of the province’s 34 seats in the House of Commons.