Men’s Hockey in the United States has been in the news a lot lately following the team’s win at the Winter Olympics. A fair bit of that coverage has been negative, due to the comments made about the women’s team and their general behavior following the win.
In the face of all of this negative press, the San Jose Sharks NHL team, none of whom were a part of the U.S. Olympic team, have been minding their own business in their corner of the U.S., hosting a legendary pride scrimmage, and doing something that involves cupcakes.
On Friday, Feb. 27, the Sharks hosted their fourth annual Pride Scrimmage. This scrimmage included the Sharks front office, Team Trans, the first ever all transgender hockey team, and the SF Earthquakes LGBTQ+ team. Sharks players Alex Wennberg and Tyler Toffoli coached the scrimmage.
This kind of exposure and support for the first ever all transgender hockey team and a completely LGBTQ+ team is a big deal. Hockey and its community are largely conservative and often homophobic, and transgender players in any sports are under fire from the federal government currently and have been a conservative talking point for years. Taking a moment to highlight these players and members of the broader hockey community is a big step forward for everyone involved.
Keira Wiele of Team Trans spoke to San Jose Hockey Now on why it was such a big deal for her team to be supported by Wennberg, Toffoli, and the Sharks. She says, “We’re being attacked in a lot of places. No, it’s not the entire world against us.”
Wennberg expressed a similar sentiment, “It doesn’t matter if you’re trans, if you’re gay, if you’re bi,” he told San Jose Hockey Now. “So for me to just be here and support it, it’s important.” Toffoli echoed that, saying, “Everybody who’s a part of the community should have a right to play and be able to be themselves.”
Meanwhile, while the Olympics were still going on, there was a charity auction event that many of the Sharks players attended. At this, Sharks player Will Smith and Toffoli were locked in a battle to win the “elevated cupcake experience,” whatever that is. Smith was able to finally win when he was asked if he would bring anyone with him to the experience, and he answered, “Only one guy… he’s gonna play at 5 a.m. tomorrow,” referring to his teammate and close friend Macklin Celebrini, who was playing for Team Canada at the Olympics at the time.
This sparked a wave of jokes by social media users about Celebrini losing the gold medal game and then being told he has to go make cupcakes with Smith. In all of the jokes, I have been unable to determine what exactly this experience is. Are they making the cupcakes? Eating them? Where? When? All questions that remain unanswered.
Now that the Olympics are over and Celebrini has returned home, he and Smith will most likely be having their “elevated cupcake experience” soon. Whatever that experience even is.
Featured image: San Jose Sharks
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