After not spending much time together due to Taylor’s hectic Eras Tour, she and Travis Kelce are planning to rectify that this year. Swift is looking forward to a much lighter calendar this year—and it seems she and the Chiefs TE are already making the most of it. The fans have spotted the couple enjoying their downtime together: attending a wedding, going on a date night in Palm Beach, and most recently, holding hands at the Stanley Cup Finals between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers.
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However, their appearance at the Stanley Cup Final didn’t sit well with many hockey fans—or sports fans in general. Some viewers criticized the broadcast at Amerant Bank Arena for repeatedly featuring Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, much like they did during the NFL season when Swift often appeared at Chiefs games. The backlash quickly spilled over to social media, where the couple caught heat for dominating screen time during the first half alone. Dan Patrick, however, stepped in to defend them.
“Don’t blame Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift for going to the game. Doesn’t that say something about your sport that they would like to go and be part of it, watch it? She could go to a Chiefs game and her boyfriend is playing for the Chiefs, but all of a sudden, it’s the networks who do this. She doesn’t say, I’ll go, but you must show me 15 times. It doesn’t work that way. Blame the networks. Don’t blame her and him.”
The criticism echoes similar complaints during Chiefs games, though it’s often more subdued there, as Swift is watching her boyfriend play. In contrast, fans were more frustrated by their presence at the hockey game since neither Swift nor Kelce has a connection to the teams playing in the Finals. They also hadn’t attended any games during the regular season, which led many to view their appearance as opportunistic rather than genuine fandom.
Amid all the online criticism, former NFL quarterback and current analyst Ryan Fitzpatrick jumped into the conversation with a tweet that appeared to take a jab at Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s growing presence at the Stanley Cup Finals.
“No, Travis and Taylor after the second goal. Why am I even watching?!??!
However, Fitzpatrick didn’t clarify the intent behind his post, which only fueled more controversy. Swifties didn’t take it lightly—many slammed him for being a bad friend to the couple and accused him of spreading hate, calling him a “loser” who should be ashamed of himself.
Longtime fans of Fitzpatrick, however, defended him, pointing out that the tweet was likely sarcastic and consistent with his usual brand of humor. Still, some viewers—even those outside Swift’s fanbase—took his comment seriously and blamed Taylor for “ruining” not just football, but hockey too.
With friends like you, who needs critics and enemies? Lame.
— LenaMonte (@Trying2Unplug) June 13, 2025
Another chimed in and added,
what a loser and as a friend of travis you should be ashamed in yourself
— Jack (Tayvis Version) (@JackTomo7139) June 13, 2025
A fan quipped,
I feel like people in the replies don’t understand sarcasm. Obviously this guy is a friend of Travis and just having fun with it.
— KelceFan8762 (@traytaycarebear) June 13, 2025
Someone commented,
She ruined football. Why is she ruining hockey now.
— Druphis (@druphis) June 13, 2025
Swifties don’t understand Fitz humor and think he’s taking a shot at them
Smh
— Bane Da Villain (@BaneDaDon) June 13, 2025
Fitzpatrick didn’t stop there and sent out another tweet, this time asking whether Travis and Taylor will stay for the overtime.
Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers went into overtime after regulation ended in a 4-4 tie. An upset seemed likely, but the home team Panthers scored the decisive fifth goal in OT to level the series at 2-2. A win for the Oilers would have given them a commanding lead in the best-of-seven series. However, momentum swung back to Florida, which went on to win Game 5 with a dominant 5-2 performance, taking a 3-2 lead in the series.
