Ukrainian singers to open full-capacity Edmonton Oilers game Saturday

The people of Ukraine will be honoured in Edmonton Saturday when the Oilers take on the Montreal Canadiens.

The Axios Ukrainian Men’s Ensemble will perform the Canadian and Ukrainian national anthems for a full-capacity crowd, the first since December because of COVID-19 restrictions.

“The Edmonton Oilers and everyone at Oilers Entertainment Group stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. Alberta is home to more than 345,000 people of Ukrainian heritage, and their culture and traditions are a significant part of the fabric of our community here in Oil Country," said Tim Shipton.

The Oilers will also donate net proceeds from the March 7 and 9 50/50 raffles to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.

Taras Podilsky, a singer in the Axios Ukrainian Men's Ensemble said he hopes performing both national anthems at the Oilers game will raise the spirits of Ukrainian people. But said people should also take a moment to reflect on the seriousness of the situation.

"We've grown up with a Ukrainian Canadian identity and the anthem's always been dear to us and connected us to Ukraine," said Podilsky.

"But never did we think it would be center stage at an Oilers game or some grand public event as a call out to save our people. So it's with mixed emotions and excitement that we're doing this."

"It's a special meaning, and there's a pressure," said singer Damien Zakordonski. "We want to make sure that we do our very best for them and for everyone around us, we want to represent our group and our country."

Zakordonski said since 2016 the ensemble has brought over 17 Ukrainian singers to perform with them. He hopes that if those men see Saturday’s performance they know that the ensemble will continue to support them from Canada in any way they can.

"They're a certain kind of camaraderie that you get when you sing in a group of guys, it builds a relationship that lasts for quite a long time and makes a lasting impact."

He said it's been heartbreaking to watch their friends in Ukraine forced to flee without knowing where they'll end up or if they'll ever get to return home.

"[A] guy took his wife and his kids to the border and wound up going back to Kyiv to go volunteer in whatever fashion he can," he said. "These guys used to be singers and performers and they're doing what they can to help protect their country that they love."

On Feb. 24, Russian forces invaded Ukraine.

On Wednesday, Ukraine reported that more than 2,000 civilians have died, a claim that could not be independently verified. It was not disclosed how many soldiers had died.

The City of Edmonton has been lighting many landmarks, including city hall, blue and yellow in support of Ukraine.

On Tuesday, a chorus based in Winnipeg sang the Ukrainian and Canadian national anthems ahead of a game between the Jets and Canadiens.

With files from the Associated Press