Look, I’m not saying the Edmonton Oilers’ alternate jerseys are cursed with good fortune. I’m not saying there’s some ancient hockey magic woven into the fabric. But I’m also not not saying it. Because at some point, you have to stop calling it a coincidence and start wondering if someone needs to check those things for rabbit’s feet and four-leaf clovers.
The new cream-colored alternate jerseys debuted this season on October 28 against Utah, and the Oilers won 6-3. Fine, sample size of one. Then they wore them again on December 4 against Seattle and absolutely demolished the Kraken 9-4 in what can only be described as a video game score. That nine-goal outburst equaled their greatest offensive output in a game since 1996, and it was just the second time they’d worn the new threads.
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Then came last night’s 6-2 dismantling of the Winnipeg Jets, bringing the Oilers to a perfect 3-0 in their cream alternates with a combined score of 21-9. That’s not a record—that’s a statement. And before you say “it’s only three games,” remember that this team is 13-11-5 overall this season. They’re not exactly lighting the world on fire in their regular uniforms, but throw on those cream-colored beauties and suddenly it’s 1985.
The Oilers have scored 15 goals in their last two games wearing the alternates, which is wild considering they went through stretches this season where scoring three felt like pulling teeth. And none should be more grateful than Matt Savoie, who scored his sixth goal of the season in the cream threads against the Jets, adding to his two-goal performance against Seattle.
But wait, there’s more. This isn’t even the first time Oilers alternate jerseys have possessed seemingly supernatural powers. Cast your mind back to the 2023-24 season and those navy blue alternates with orange trim. The Oilers wore them during parts of their franchise-record 16-game winning streak—tied for the second-longest in NHL history. During that ridiculous run, Edmonton outscored opponents 62-24, and those navy alternates were a lot more than just “cool.”
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Now the only downside to these magical cream jerseys isn’t their on-ice performance—it’s the fashion disaster they create for the coaching staff. When the team wears the alternates for games, the coaches are required to wear matching cream-colored tracksuits for morning skate. And let’s just say cream tracksuits are not doing anyone any favours.
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The best part? Kris Knoblauch changed into his usual Oilers quarter-zip for his post-morning-skate interview yesterday while still wearing the cream-colored track pants. Picture that: professional NHL head coach, top half business casual in Oilers blue, bottom half looking like he’s headed to a 1970s aerobics class. The man drew the line at wearing the full cream ensemble for media availability, which honestly, fair enough.
“I’d say the first two periods was a 10 out of 10. I loved a lot of things,” Knoblauch said after the Jets win. Was he talking about the team’s performance or the fact that he doesn’t have to wear those pants for the next morning skate? The world may never know.
“We looked a lot more connected, we looked a lot faster,” added Leon Draisaitl, presumably also grateful he gets to wear the jersey and not the tracksuit.
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The numbers speak for themselves. The Oilers are scheduled to wear the alternate jersey seven times this season, which means four more chances to pad these statistics and turn superstition into stone-cold fact. They’ve got upcoming dates on December 23 against Calgary and January 31 against Minnesota at home, plus road games in Chicago on January 12 and Nashville on January 13.
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If they go 7-0 in those jerseys? Someone needs to petition the NHL to let them wear alternates every single game—and maybe, just maybe, spare the coaching staff from the cream tracksuit humiliation. Because at that point, you’re not tempting fate, you’re riding it all the way to June. Even if Knoblauch has to suffer through a few more mornings looking like he’s auditioning for Saturday Night Fever.
The voodoo is real. The jerseys work. And apparently, so does refusing to wear the matching jacket for interviews.
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