Arts & Entertainment

Sports & Gaming

There’s a sport for everyone in Alberta: two professional NHL teams; two national lacrosse teams; two Canadian Football League teams; heart racing horse racing; world-class horse jumping; motor sports from stock car racing to a stop on the Grand Prix circuit. And if you’re feeling lucky, take a chance at one of the numerous casinos around the province.

Football

Some say the Canadian Football League (CFL) style of professional football rivals the National Football League (NFL) in the U.S. for sheer beauty and finesse of the game. Die-hard fans say the differences in the rules make the Canadian game much more difficult than its southern counterpart.

Alberta has two CFL teams—and perennial arch rivals—the Edmonton Eskimos and Calgary Stampeders. Match-ups between these two are always filled with heart-stopping action, particularly in September, with playoff spots on the line. That's when Calgary hosts the Eskimos at the Labour Day Classic. The following week, Edmonton returns the favour! Over the years, both clubs have seen their share of all-star athletes and Grey Cup championships.

Gaming

So many casinos, so little time! For a good gaming source that lists everything from restaurants to the number of slot machines, visit Casino City. Our larger venues offer instruction as well as first-class touring or local entertainment. Many of our casinos support charitable organizations.

Edmonton Casino Favourites

Hockey – Professional and Amateur

For most Canadians, hockey is in our blood. If professional hockey is also one of your passions, you’ll know that Alberta boasts two of the toughest, talented small-market teams in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Traditional rivals, the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames play to win, every time, every game of the year. And if only one of our teams is left standing in the hunt for the coveted Stanley Cup, fans of both cities unite to cheer on Alberta. The Oilers play at Rexall Place in Edmonton.

To see tomorrow’s NHL stars today, check out the Western Hockey League (WHL).

If you are interested in following the teams whose players aspire to membership in the WHL and NHL, check out the young and fiercely competitive talent in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

Horse Racing

Whether you’re a fan of Thoroughbred, quarter horse, mixed breed or standardbred racing, there’s lots of action around Alberta—you can bet on it. Race season prime time is April through autumn. Fans can choose from a number of well-attended tracks. The most well known in Edmonton is Northlands which offers standardbred and Thoroughbred racing from March through October.

Lacrosse

Known as Canada’s game, lacrosse was being played in Alberta when the cities of Edmonton and Calgary were first populated. The records go as far back as 1890, when Calgary and Lethbridge played to a 1-1 draw.

Today, the province sports no less than 13 lacrosse associations. National Lacrosse League (NLL) teams in Alberta are the Calgary Roughnecks and the Edmonton Rush.

The regular season runs from January through April, with playoffs culminating in the championship match in mid-May.

Motorsports

Whether your passion is oval, drag or roadcourse racing, whether it’s for stock cars, big rigs, motorcycles, vintage or Grand Prix, Alberta racing activities will get your motor running.

Castrol Raceway in Edmonton has racing events to satisfy all tastes and cravings.

Grand Prix racing has found a new home in Edmonton and it looks like it’s here to stay. The three day July event offers heart pounding world class action. Make a pit stop at Grand Prix of Edmonton for all the details.

More info for fans...

For afficionados who like to follow their sport—literally—there are numerous events in each that take place around the province throughout the year. We have our fair share of local and national competitions as well as world championships, from curling to dog sled racing, downhill skiing and luge, to snowmbile drag races and car races on the frozen surface of Lac La Biche Lake. Given the number of signature golf courses in the province, there are many celebrity tournaments to catch. To see all we have to offer, go to the search feature on the top right corner of this page and click on Advanced. Choose the Category tab and select Events/Sports.