2013 was a turning point in Jeff Skinner’s life. At least that is what many conspiracy theories will have you believe. Why? Well, that was the year in which Skinner (then a Hurricanes player) gifted his sweater to Taylor Swift, leading many to speculate that he would also find himself in the shadow of the so-called ‘curse’ Swift was believed to bring to hockey teams and players.

In 2009, the Pittsburgh Penguins presented her with a ‘Swift 09’ jersey. The players who gave her the jersey were Max Talbot, Jordan Staal, Alex Goligoski, and Tyler Kennedy, who, within the next four years, 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 found himself in the playoffs, making many wonder if 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, he is making his debut on the grandest stage of them all. On June 12, the Edmonton Oilers officially announced the news. The X post said, “Jeff Skinner and Troy Stecher will make their Stanley Cup Final debuts tonight for the Oilers in Game 4.” And guess who’s in attendance at the Amerant Bank Arena. None other than Taylor Swift. “You thought she was gonna miss his first Stanley Cup Final game?” quipped CBS Sports’ Pete Blackburn on X. And fans? Well, they certainly picked up on the irony.

Going into the Stanley Cup Final, Skinner already had more goals than a more experienced playoff customer. Of course, fans cheered for Skinner to score goals tonight as well, but only so that he could mark the whole coincidence surrounding Taylor and himself with something special. If that doesn’t prove that they have moved on from the so-called curse, then nothing will.

Fans are losing it over Jeff Skinner’s Stanley Cup Final debut after he broke the Taylor Swift curse

Fans are losing it over Jeff Skinner’s Stanley Cup Final debut after he seemingly broke the infamous Taylor Swift curse. One true hockey fan wrote on X, “You thought she was gonna miss his first Stanley Cup Final game?” “You have one job, Jeff Skinner. Score 13 goals for her,” joked another, referring to the year Skinner gifted his sweater to Swift. But that wasn’t the only request or suggestion fans had.

Out of what seemed like an intention to get everyone at the Amerant Bank Arena in on the joke, another fan came up with a rather smart suggestion: “They need to put this on the jumbotron—I don’t care if they’re in Florida 😂.” On the other hand, another netizen attempted a more profound take on the coincidence of Skinner making his Stanley Cup Final debut in front of Taylor Swift. “Serendipitous encounters often unfold in unexpected ways. Embrace the mysteries life offers,” they wrote.

Still, one fan issued a serious warning, saying, “Tough spot to get thrown into. Time to swim with the sharks.” However, it’s safe to say that Skinner swam with the sharks and not just survived, but thrived. Because UPDATE: The Oilers just beat the Panthers 5-4 in an OT thriller to level the series, which is now set to move to north of the border to Rogers Place.