Locally-made emotional support chickens land on Prime Minister Mark Carney's desk
Prime Minister Mark Carney (left) holds up one his two new Edmonton Oilers emotional support playoff chickens, gifted to him by Senator Kris Wells (right). (Photo: The Prime Minister's Office)
Prime Minister Mark Carney now has his very own emotional support playoff chicken to hold onto when things get tough on the ice for his hometown's team.
Carney was recently given a pair of bean-filled blue-and-orange chickens made by local crocheter Ashley Sinclair.
Sinclair started making the soft, squishy 'emotional support chickens' during the 2024 playoffs to help with mental health during what can be a stressful time for hockey fans.
'They give you something to hold onto while you're trying to make it through overtime without having a heart attack,' Sinclair said. 'A little emotional support for what's been just a crazy roller coaster for fans.'
The chickens took off quickly after she posted them to social media in April and she's sold hundreds since – with demand higher than ever.
'Everything kept snowballing and getting bigger and bigger,' Sinclair said. 'We're coming up on 1,500 chickens.'
'And then this week, I get this photo of Prime Minister Mark Carney with a chicken and I'm like gobsmacked,' she added. 'It's crazy.'
Carney was gifted the two chickens by Senator Kris Wells, who bought a half-dozen earlier this year.
'He was very excited,' Wells said. 'Obviously we're both from Edmonton here, we grew up here, we're die-hard Edmonton Oilers hockey fans.'
'I said, 'I want you to keep one in the office and take one home, and so when you're watching the game, like everyone else in Edmonton and across Canada, you'll be able to take out some of the stress out on this chicken.'
Wells said Carney was already aware of Sinclair and her chickens from watching the news and kept it close by during Thursday's heart-rate raising performance.
'I asked him if he threw it at the TV like I did,' Wells said. 'He said, 'No. He was much more restrained.' But he watched the game with the chicken nearby in case of emergency.'
Edmonton Oilers support chicken
Crocheted Edmonton Oilers emotional support chickens can be seen in Ashley Sinclair's craft room. She has sold almost 1,500 since posting them online earlier this year. (Amanda Anderson/CTV News Edmonton)
Sinclair said it's been great to see the response the chickens have had. To help keep up with orders, she's enlisted seven more sets of hands.
'I have all these other crocheters that are now benefiting from these chickens and being able to provide that kind of opportunity where it's flexible work for people that need it, and it's having a huge positive impact,' she said.
The team has also been giving back to the community.
'One of my crocheters also is a talented illustrator and she made an emotional support chicken sticker that we were selling with proceeds going to the Ben Stelter Foundation,' Sinclair said. 'On the day of Game 3, we were able to donate $1,018.'
Orders for emotional support chickens can be made through Sinclair's Instagram Page. She said Friday there were just 15 left available before June 20, when Game 7 would take place.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Amanda Anderson
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