La Bamba to play at Rogers Place after Oilers wins in memory of Joey Moss

EDMONTON -

The Edmonton Oilers celebrated their season opener win over the Vancouver Canucks Wednesday night with a tribute to the late Joey Moss.

It's a tribute that will continue for the rest of the 2021-22 NHL season.

Ritchie Valens' 1950s hit "La Bamba" will be played through the Rogers Place sound system after every Oilers home win.

The song was a favourite of the Oilers' late locker room attendant.

"It's pretty fitting with Joe and his legacy here in Edmonton," Oilers captain Connor McDavid told reporters on Thursday. 

"It's a song that's close to our hearts. It's something that means a lot to us and no one liked a win better than Joey Moss, so it's a good little tribute to him."

Moss died last October at the age of 57.

• Joey Moss, Edmonton sports icon, dead at 57  

He was brought into the Oilers organization by Wayne Gretzky during the 1984-85 season and remained a fixture in Edmonton's sports culture ever since.

Last month, the Oilers unveiled a statue of Moss in their locker room at Rogers Place.  

• Joey Moss statue unveiled in Oilers' locker room

In 2015, Moss was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.

The Oilers hope to hear "La Bamba" again on Saturday after their home game against the Calgary Flames.