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Shania Twain performs, fires up the Edmonton crowd before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final

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Shania Twain performs, fires up the Edmonton crowd before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final
Sport

Sport

Shania Twain performs, fires up the Edmonton crowd before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final

2024-06-16 10:38 Last Updated At:10:40

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — The Florida Panthers don't impress Shania Twain much despite leading the Edmonton Oilers 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final.

The legendary Canadian performer fired up the crowd outside Rogers Place prior to Game 4 on Saturday night and started a “We want the Cup!” chant among Oilers fans. It would take the team pulling off a comeback not made in the final since 1942 — the only time in NHL history it has happened at this stage and on only four previous occasions any time in the playoffs.

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Edmonton Oilers fans arrive for Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final between the Oilers and the Florida Panthers, Saturday, June 15, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers fans arrive for Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final between the Oilers and the Florida Panthers, Saturday, June 15, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

A Florida Panthers fan arrives for Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final between the Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers, Saturday, June 15, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

A Florida Panthers fan arrives for Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final between the Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers, Saturday, June 15, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers fan Dale Steil arrives for Game 3 of the team's NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers, Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers fan Dale Steil arrives for Game 3 of the team's NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers, Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers fans Jayson Wood, left, and his son Peyton, 13, pose outside the arena to cheer on before Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers in Edmonton, Alberta, Thursday, June 13, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers fans Jayson Wood, left, and his son Peyton, 13, pose outside the arena to cheer on before Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers in Edmonton, Alberta, Thursday, June 13, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Braeden Aelly chalks an Edmonton Oilers logo on the sidewalk before the start of Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs against the Florida Panthers in Edmonton, Alberta, Thursday, June 13, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Braeden Aelly chalks an Edmonton Oilers logo on the sidewalk before the start of Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs against the Florida Panthers in Edmonton, Alberta, Thursday, June 13, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

“How you guys feeling Edmonton?” Twain said between songs. “We are in the spirit of the Stanley Cup right here in Edmonton!”

Twain followed The Kid LAROI and DJ Khaled from the games in Florida and the band Our Lady Peace earlier in the week outside Rogers Place. The Oilers are hoping to avoid being the first team to be swept in the Cup final since Washington in 1998.

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch was not forthcoming about lineup changes Saturday morning, hours away from his team facing elimination.

“Things are a little bit different, a little more at stake,” Knoblauch said. “In the regular season there’s not much reason to hide, er, keep anything secret. Playoffs are a little bit different. I’m going to have to make you wait.”

It was worth the wait for Oilers fans to see Knoblauch moving Ryan Nugent-Hopkins down to play with Leon Draisaitl, who had no points in the first three games of the series, and putting Warren Foegele on left wing with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman. Each of the top two lines scored.

The 20 players who dressed for Edmonton remained the same, with Darnell Nurse remaining in the lineup and getting his first goal of the playoffs and Evander Kane being scratched for the second consecutive game after he was ineffective with one point in his past nine while dealing with a sports hernia.

The 50/50 drawing, which is known to get into six figures in Alberta, surpassed $13 million CAD before the start of the third period. The Oilers declined to talk about the 50/50, protective of their internal methods that they believe makes it so successful.

This story has been corrected to indicate The Kid LAROI and DJ Khaled played before Games 1 and 2 in Florida.

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

Edmonton Oilers fans arrive for Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final between the Oilers and the Florida Panthers, Saturday, June 15, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers fans arrive for Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final between the Oilers and the Florida Panthers, Saturday, June 15, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

A Florida Panthers fan arrives for Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final between the Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers, Saturday, June 15, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

A Florida Panthers fan arrives for Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final between the Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers, Saturday, June 15, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers fan Dale Steil arrives for Game 3 of the team's NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers, Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers fan Dale Steil arrives for Game 3 of the team's NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers, Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers fans Jayson Wood, left, and his son Peyton, 13, pose outside the arena to cheer on before Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers in Edmonton, Alberta, Thursday, June 13, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers fans Jayson Wood, left, and his son Peyton, 13, pose outside the arena to cheer on before Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers in Edmonton, Alberta, Thursday, June 13, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Braeden Aelly chalks an Edmonton Oilers logo on the sidewalk before the start of Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs against the Florida Panthers in Edmonton, Alberta, Thursday, June 13, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Braeden Aelly chalks an Edmonton Oilers logo on the sidewalk before the start of Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs against the Florida Panthers in Edmonton, Alberta, Thursday, June 13, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — Top-ranked chess player Magnus Carlsen is turning his controversial denim into some greens — for charity.

The Norwegian chess grandmaster announced this week that he is auctioning off the Italian luxury brand jeans that started a dress code dispute at December's World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships. Carlsen ultimately quit the New York competition after accepting a $200 fine while refusing to change his pants.

While the tournament's governing body agreed to loosen the dress code, Carlsen is parting with his infamous britches.

Chess fanatics and #JeansGate followers now have the chance to own Carlsen's pair of size 32 regular fit Corneliani jeans. The auction is scheduled to end March 1. Listed as pre-owned but in “good” condition on eBay, the pants' highest offer was $8,100 as of Feb. 21.

Proceeds will go to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, a national youth-mentoring charity that carries out its mission through local chapters in neighborhoods across all 50 states and 12 countries. According to the auction, they will be used for “youth mentorship at chess clinics, community events, and beyond, to build connection, belonging, and enrich the lives of young people through the game.”

Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

FILE - Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, left, of SG Alpine Warriors plays against Poland's Jan-Krzysztof Duda of Chingari Gulf Titans during Global Chess League in Dubai United Arab Emirates, on July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)

FILE - Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, left, of SG Alpine Warriors plays against Poland's Jan-Krzysztof Duda of Chingari Gulf Titans during Global Chess League in Dubai United Arab Emirates, on July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)

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