It was 2013 when Taylor Swift experienced a turning point in her life. That was also the year Kanye West famously declared he would ‘let her finish.’ But perhaps more notably for hockey fans, it was the same year NHL forward Jeff Skinner of the Hurricanes met Swift. After their meeting, during which Skinner gave her his jersey as a gift, people were quick to recall the so-called ‘curse’ she was believed to bring to hockey teams. Fans grew concerned about Jeff Skinner’s future. However, that curse seems to have lifted.
In 2009, the Pittsburgh Penguins presented her with a ‘Swift 09’ jersey. But the story did not end there. The players who gave her the jersey were Max Talbot, Jordan Staal, Alex Goligoski, and Tyler Kennedy, and within the next four years, all of them left the team. In another instance, Swift attended a Los Angeles Kings game, and the team subsequently missed the playoffs. Then she wore a Maple Leafs jersey, and, well, they are yet to win their first Stanley Cup since 1967.
Skinner, too, hadn’t made the postseason in the 14 years he split between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Buffalo Sabres. But then, the Edmonton Oilers came calling, and voila, he was finally in the postseason, leading many to believe that the curse was broken. On April 17, speaking to SportCenter’s John Buccigross on whether he believed the curse was real, Skinner revealed that there was an apparent miscommunication between him and the pop star.
“Honestly, I don’t think she wanted or knew that Jersey was coming. The short version is that she thought that I wanted her to sign the jersey for me. And I was there with the impression that I was supposed to give her the jersey.” He also added, “And I’d already signed it. So, yeah, there’s a bit of miscommunication there. So I don’t know if the curse would have applied, but yeah, I guess I mean, hopefully there’s no curse,” the veteran forward said.
And now, after having scored two points in as many playoff games, he is making his debut on the grandest stage of them all—the Stanley Cup Finals. On June 12, the Edmonton Oilers officially announced, “Jeff Skinner and Troy Stecher will make their Stanley Cup Final debuts tonight for the Oilers in Game 4.” And interestingly, Skinner’s Cup Finals debut is taking place with Taylor Swift in attendance at the Amerant Bank Arena. “You thought she was gonna miss his first Stanley Cup Final game?” quipped CBS Sports’ Pete Blackburn on X. And fans? Oh, they might have moved on from the curse, but they are certainly hoping for Skinner to make this whole thing memorable.
You thought she was gonna miss his first Stanley Cup Final game? https://t.co/8S88rCHaPj pic.twitter.com/TIGcY7V8Tv
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) June 12, 2025
One true hockey fan wrote on X, “You thought she was gonna miss his first Stanley Cup Final game?” Another fan added, “You have one job, Jeff Skinner. Score 13 goals for her.”
Stay tuned, this is a developing story!
The post Edmonton Fans Move On From ‘Taylor Swift Hockey Curse’ Ahead of Jeff Skinner’s Stanley Cup Debut appeared first on EssentiallySports.
