CFL’s Edmonton Elks Honour Late Owner With Helmet Decals

After team owner Larry Thompson passed away unexpectedly last week, the Canadian Football League’s Edmonton Elks honoured him with decals on their helmets and other tributes around Commonwealth Stadium over the weekend.

The Elks announced on Thursday, September 25, that Thompson had passed away at age 65 due to complications from recent surgery. “He fought a hard battle for many weeks but complications were too severe,” the team said.

Two days later, the Elks took to the field at home against the Saskatchewan Roughriders with memorial decals on the back left side of their helmets, next to the Canadian flag. The green decals were football-shaped, with gold and green outlines and “LARRY” in gold through the middle. The team’s primary double-E logo sat underneath.

Courtesy Edmonton Elks / Facebook

Saturday’s game was also the Elks’ annual Indigenous Celebration game, with both teams wearing their Indigenous-themed logos on their helmets and orange pre-game jerseys. Footballs used in the game were also emblazoned with the Elks’ Indigenous logo and had orange laces “as a symbol to our commitment to truth and reconciliation.”

Courtesy Edmonton Elks / Facebook

The memorial logo was also in the end zones at Commonwealth Stadium and on the fire truck from which miniature footballs are thrown into the crowd every time the Elks score a touchdown.

Courtesy Edmonton Elks / Facebook

Larry Thompson was the first-ever private owner of the Elks, officially taking over in August 2024. He was the former owner of Thompson Brothers Construction in Edmonton, and he had been a fan of the team since attending his first game in 1972.

Larry Thompson and his wife Deb pose for a photo in the stands at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. (Courtesy Edmonton Elks)

Before Thompson was introduced as the Elks’ new owner in 2024, there were rumblings he would push to return the team to its former name or a variant thereof. That didn’t materialize, but the team did phase out their elk logo and promote the double-E logo to primary status in January 2025.

Ownership of the Elks will remain with Thompson’s wife Deb, “who is steadfast in her dedication to carry on Larry’s vision to revive the Double E as a pillar in the Edmonton sports scene and a leader in the community,” the team said in its announcement.

“Our family is devastated with the loss of our anchor,” Deb Thompson said. “Larry was a legend and our family will continue his legacy far beyond our lifetimes. Owning EE was a life long dream, my only regret is he isn’t here to enjoy it. I will continue to support the club and community as it has become my dream as well as that of our family.”