The Edmonton Oilers’ foremost concern right now is getting superstar Connor McDavid to sign that contract extension: the price does not matter. However, the Oilers captain has categorically stated that he will be anything but hasty when making such a monumental decision.
Between the prolonged wait for McDavid and the inception of the 2025-26 season, the Oilers management has had other off-ice developments to deal with. Most recently, the organization had to address the claims that it gives back very little to the community in terms of charity.
Edmonton Oilers Respond to Allegations of Underspending on Charitable Activities
In a recent provocative report by the Investigative Journalism Foundation, Brett McKay brought up a shocking claim against the Oilers. The Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation reportedly paid an amount exceeding $81 million in the form of “licence and rights fees” to the OEG’s subsidiary Win50.
According to the report, Win50 is a private company owned by the Oilers Entertainment Group. And according to the Oilers, OEG’s billionaire owner, Daryl Katz, has voting control of Win50. Interestingly, McKay claims that the amount that went to Win50 from 2021 to 2024 far exceeds what was available for charity over the same period.
“Between 2021 and 2024, the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation (EOCF), the charity that runs the 50/50 raffles, paid more than $81 million in what it calls ‘licence and rights fees’ to OEG’s subsidiary Win50, millions of dollars more than the amount available for charitable activities over those four years, according to the foundation’s audited financial statements.”
These are grave allegations, and the Oilers had to clear their name. Soon after, a release on the official Oilers website followed. The organization reprimanded the IJF for misleading readers.
“Recent reporting by the Investigative Journalism Foundation fundamentally misleads readers in its representation of the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation’s 50/50 program by focusing on percentages rather than the unprecedented charitable impact being delivered to Alberta communities.”
The Oilers have responded to this reporting, which they say “fundamentally misleads readers … by focusing on percentages rather than the unprecedented charitable impact being delivered to Alberta communities.”
More here: https://t.co/BcdrJD8QKj https://t.co/J2YMhpnqYH pic.twitter.com/9e8hUUHzKM
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) September 26, 2025
The release outlined the exact amount that has been dedicated to charitable causes over the years. According to the Oilers, they spent $66.9 million between 2021 and 24, a 576% increase from $9.9 million in 2017-2020. It also claimed that the organization has $20 million available for charitable causes in 2024 alone.
The release further alleged that IJF was underplaying the Oilers’ significant charitable contributions by harping on gross figures.
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“The IJF’s reporting deliberately and irresponsibly obscures this remarkable success story by citing gross revenue figures without acknowledging the significant operational investments required to transform a small in-arena raffle into the largest charitable raffle in professional sports.”
The Oilers have issued an elaborate explanation in response to the allegations brought against them. Following this debacle, it will hardly be a surprise if scrutiny tightens around the Oilers and other NHL teams regarding charitable contributions.
