The Edmonton Oilers' New Mascot Is Terrifying

The Edmonton Oilers introduced the franchise's first-ever mascot on Monday, Hunter the Canadian Lynx. Let's cut to the chase: he's fuckin' scary as hell.

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers)September 26, 2016

Here's Edmonton's newest resident getting acclimated with a group of young students.

That was nervous laughter you just witnessed.

The organization explained the purpose and origins of the mascot, saying:

The Edmonton Oilers revealed the newest member of the Oilers family, introducing their official mascot, "Hunter" the Canadian Lynx. The mascot is named Hunter as a tribute to "Wild Bill" Hunter, the original owner of the Edmonton Oilers who founded the team in 1972. As such, Hunter will also don #72 on his Oilers jersey.

The new Oilers mascot character will have a strong community presence and will make numerous appearances, including hospital visits, festivals, school visits and other community events. At Rogers Place, Hunter will be complementary to the game night experience, adding a new and unique element to fans' experience while especially enhancing youth's experience throughout Oil Country.

According to the Oilers, the Lynx was chosen due to its heritage in Oil Country, as research indicated that the animal resides in Alberta more than anywhere else in the world.

What the Oilers failed to research was just how terrifying their new mascot Hunter really is. Although the Lynx is a cute animal in nature, the mascot itself is not the cute and cuddly representation the organization hoped it would be. In fact, for a mascot that was supposed to be a hit among children, it appears to be more of a nightmare inducer than anything.

Tell me this isn't weird — Josh Gold-Smith (@GoldAndOrSmith)September 26, 2016

According to the Edmonton Sun, they wanted a mascot that was approachable and huggable and… yeah, I'm not sure they delivered on that goal.

Only time will tell if Hunter will turn out to be a successful mascot for the franchise. But if the research that went into picking Hunter was anything like the research that went into trading Taylor Hall, I can't imagine this ending well for the Oilers.