The Edmonton Oilers faced off at home against the Vegas Golden Knights at 7 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 4 in front of an announced crowd of 18,347 fans. By the time the Golden Knights finished off their 5-1 victory, that number should have been adjusted to 18,348.
During the second period of the game, a woman in the crowd went into labor and ended up giving birth at Rogers Place.
“Breaking news: We have word that someone has gone into labor here tonight,” Oilers broadcaster Jack Michaels announced during the game. “There’s a baby being born on the seventh floor at Rogers Place as we speak.”
He continued, “So someone’s going to have a great story to tell. It would be nice to have the mother join us on ‘After Hours’ to describe what’s happened but that could be asking a bit much.”
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The mother did not end up on the team’s postgame show, and there’s no word yet on whether she welcomed a boy or girl during the game — or if the baby will have a hockey-themed name, as some fans have suggested.
No other updates about the mother or the baby have been provided.
It ended up being an eventful night in the stands at Rogers Place. In addition to the extra, unticketed fan, another spectator was left bloodied when he was struck with an errant puck. Video showed arena staff leading him out of his seat, presumably to seek medical attention, as he attempted to rile up the crowd. He also appeared to not have spilled his beer during the ordeal.
Oddly, this isn’t the first time a baby has been born in-stadium during a professional sports game. In 2015, a woman gave birth at San Diego’s Petco Park during a Padres game against the San Francisco Giants. That time, an on-staff nurse helped deliver the baby, a boy named Levi, during the third inning.
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In 2023, a cousin of Cleveland Browns wideout David Bell gave birth before a Browns game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. She went into labor as she arrived at the stadium, taking her by surprise as it was still days before her due date.
“It moved very quickly from her coming into the stadium then getting her over to the first aid and to her actually delivering the baby,” Bell’s mom, Kareem Norwood, told Today at the time. “Probably like 15 minutes at the most.”
“I sent a blast text to everybody,” she added, “and I started getting all these texts back like, ‘When did this happen?’”
Bell, now 25, spoke to Fox 59 in Indianapolis after the game, calling the birth “a blessing.”
“Her whole idea was to try to have the baby before the game, but you know it’s all in God’s time,” he said. “So, now I have a new niece. So, hopefully I get to see her when I come back to the city.”
