NHL Joins Taylor Swift’s New Era
Grammy-winning artist Taylor Swift has announced her new album, “The Life of a Showgirl”, and the NHL’s reaction was immediate.
The news came after Swift hinted at her participation in the “New Heights” podcast, hosted by Jason and Travis Kelce, Swift’s boyfriend. The episode premiered on Wednesday and marked the first time Swift will participate in the podcast.
NHL teams reacted creatively to the announcement of Swift’s album, showing their enthusiasm and connection to the pop star.The pop star’s connection to the hockey world is not new. Swift and Kelce attended Game 4 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers.
Kelce, a known fan of the Chicago Blackhawks, welcomed Panthers star player Matthew Tkachuk with open arms on an episode of “New Heights” in February. Both were also seen together at a party in July 2024.Creative Reactions from NHL Teams
Several NHL teams took advantage of the album news to show their support and creativity:Calgary Flames: The team paid tribute to the album using an image of player Jarome Iginla, who wore the number 12, with orange glitter, similar to the color of Swift’s website.Carolina Hurricanes: The team released an email from their “VP” asking why they hadn’t collaborated with Swift, suggesting a possible marketing strategy.Columbus Blue Jackets: The Blue Jackets used the album’s release to announce their own “next era”, with an album cover in orange, referencing the theme of Swift’s new album.Florida Panthers: The Florida team highlighted a Swift necklace in the “New Heights” preview and a picture of her and Kelce at a Stanley Cup game.Minnesota Wild: The team highlighted their left winger, Matt Boldy.Nashville Predators: The team recalled Swift’s appearance in a commercial for the franchise, posting photos of Swift wearing a Predators jersey.New Jersey Devils: The Devils used a Swift lyric to highlight their captain, Nico Hischier, creating an album cover titled “The Life of a Captain”.New York Islanders: The team took advantage of its orange and blue color scheme, which matches the theme of Swift’s album.Ottawa Senators: The Senators acknowledged their number 12, center Shane Pinto, in reference to Swift’s album announcement at 12:12 a.m. ET.Philadelphia Flyers: The Flyers used the bright orange color to edit a photo of defenseman Travis Sanheim.Pittsburgh Penguins: The Penguins used the glitter theme in their black and yellow colors, similar to Swift’s website.St. Louis Blues: The Blues showcased their logos with blue glitter, referencing Swift’s website.Toronto Maple Leafs: The team highlighted William Nylander, who was seen at a Swift concert in November.Winnipeg Jets: Winnipeg recognized Dylan DeMelo, who wore the number 12 during the 2019-2020 season.
