'STOP SHOWING THEM!': Fans accuse NHL of going ‘full NFL' as Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce hijack Stanley Cup spotlight
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's appearance at the Stanley Cup Final ignited a media frenzy (Getty Images)
What was supposed to be a crucial moment in the Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers quickly turned into a pop culture frenzy when
Taylor Swift
and
Travis Kelce
made a high-profile entrance.
Helicopter arrival? Check. VIP suite? Check. Cameras fixated on them? Double check. But while the NHL may have hoped to leverage some of the Swift-Kelce stardom, not everyone was impressed — especially the fans.
Fans fume as NHL coverage focuses more on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce than the game itself
Sporting a red shirt and dark shades, the Kansas City Chiefs' tight end Travis Kelce joined Taylor Swift in the stands, drawing nearly as much attention as the players on the ice. ESPN's Greg Wyshynski even reported that their arrival caused security to shut down VIP entrances and press box elevators, underscoring just how disruptive the moment was.
Social media lit up almost instantly — and not in the way the NHL likely intended. As one frustrated fan posted, '@NHL_On_TNT we get it…she's there. Enough. Signed, every NHL fan.' The sentiment was echoed across platforms. Another viewer vented, 'TAYLOR SWIFT IS NOT WHAT WE WANT TO SEE WHEN THE PANTHERS SCORE.'
Their frustrations weren't unfounded. In a game with elimination on the line, many felt the focus should've remained on the ice, not in the luxury suite. 'Hey @NHL_On_TNT we get it. Taylor and Travis are in the building. Now STOP SHOWING THEM! Please?!?' wrote another annoyed fan. And perhaps the most telling of all: 'Let's keep the cameras on the game please!'
There was one moment of irony that fans couldn't ignore.
Edmonton's Jeff Skinner — who famously posed for a now-viral photo with Swift back in 2013 — was back on the ice. The Oilers' social media team even poked fun by resurfacing the photo, adding a layer of nostalgia that didn't go unnoticed. 'She heard Jeff was in,' joked one fan.
Also Read:
Travis Kelce stuns fans with Taylor Swift-inspired makeover ahead of possible last NFL season
With Kelce and Swift's appearances continuing to dominate headlines, fans are starting to ask a bigger question: is the NHL chasing the same celebrity-driven playbook the NFL used all season long? Whatever the answer, one thing's clear — hockey fans want the attention back on the game.
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