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Taylor Swift Fan Jeff Skinner Achieves Career First After 1,075 NHL Games

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rexwell Villas | Last updated Apr 12, 2025 1:36 AM ET

Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers are officially headed to the 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs following a 4-2 victory Friday night at home at Rogers Place over the San Jose Sharks.

With a 46-28-5 record for 97 points, the Oilers have guaranteed themselves at least the third spot in the Pacific Division, which also means that the only path for the Calgary Flames to make it to the playoffs is via the wild card route.

McDavid stepped up for his team against the Sharks, as he finished with four points, all on assists. Meanwhile, Jeff Skinner did not register a point for the Oilers in the San Jose game but the night was still a memorable one from a personal standpoint for the 32-year-old vet.

With Edmonton's win, a blank playoff space on Skinner's hockey resume will finally have something in it, as he is now on his first-ever trip to the postseason in the league. It only took him 1,075 games in the NHL to get there.

Skinner was selected in the first round as the seventh-overall pick in the 2010 NHL draft by the Carolina Hurricanes.

That was so long ago that Taylor Swift released her third album "Speak Now" in the same year that Skinner made his NHL debut. And speaking of Swift, there's a connection between her and Skinner, who is apparently a Swiftie to some extent. In 2013, he even gave Swift a signed Hurricanes jersey.

Skinner played his first eight seasons in the NHL with the Hurricanes before spending the next six campaigns with the Buffalo Sabres, who last made the playoffs during his rookie season in the league. Interestingly enough, Carolina made the playoffs in the first seasons since parting ways with Skinner

So far this season, Skinner, who is playing on a one-year, $3 million contract with Edmonton, has 16 goals and 12 assists through 69 games.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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