In Photos: Connor Brown, Sam Gagner and Connor McDavid's partners link up at Leon Draisaitl's pre-wedding festivities in France

Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl and fiancée Celeste Desjardins are set to tie the knot this weekend in France. Several of his former and current teammates are currently in the country along with their partners to attend the event.

On Friday, ex-Oiler Sam Gagner's wife, Rachel Gagner, shared a series of stories on her Instagram from the couple’s pre-wedding festivities. One shot featured her posing in a mirror with Madison Brown, the wife of former Oiler Connor Brown.

Rachel wore a sleek, pale pink strapless gown with a prominent floral detail at the neckline, accessorized with a round blue beaded handbag. Madison stood beside her in a soft blue dress with intricate floral appliqué and matching heels.

Another story showed Rachel laughing with Connor McDavid’s wife, Lauren Kyle, on a green outdoor lawn. Lauren was in a form-fitting halter dress with pastel floral embroidery.

In another story, Rachel posed with the bride-to-be herself. Celeste was dressed in a white gown featuring a plunging neckline and long, flowing sleeves.

“The most angel of angel brides ever,” Rachel wrote in the caption.

The next click saw Rachel and Celeste sharing a hug. She also posted a pic with Sam Gagner, who was in a light grey suit paired with a patterned button-up shirt and sunglasses.

In the last story, Rachel was seen enjoying a glass of white wine at Château des Baux de Provence. She wore a white sleeveless dress with a gathered bodice and accessorized with a blue floral headscarf and black sunglasses.

Connor McDavid's wife shared clicks from Leon Draisaitl’s pre-wedding celebrations

On Thursday, Connor McDavid's wife, Lauren McDavid, also shared a series of photos from Leon Draisaitl and Celeste Desjardins’ pre-wedding events. One image showed guests gathered under the evening sky.

In another click, Lauren stood outside with Connor McDavid. He wore a beige suit and sunglasses, while Lauren wore a floral halter-neck dress with her hair in a high ponytail.

She was also seen posing with four other women in pastel gowns, all smiling and enjoying the day. Additional shots showed Lauren alone in a quiet garden, captured both sitting and standing in soft light against a green backdrop.

In one of the next stories, Celeste appeared in a white dress chatting with guests under a white umbrella beside Leon. Another photo showed the ladies relaxing by the pool, feet in the water, followed by playful moments on pool floaties with Lauren and friends.

Leon Draisaitl and Celeste Desjardins got engaged in July 2024 in Mallorca. Celeste later celebrated bachelorette parties in Greece and Las Vegas. Lauren, who married Connor last year, is set to serve as one of her maids of honor.

About the author

Anjum is an NHL reporter at Sportskeeda with over five years of professional experience in the spectator sports industry. Raised in Bahrain, Anjum grew up close to the Formula 1 and GP2 scene, but it was ice-sports that she truly had a chance to play at school.

Anjum prioritizes thorough research, fact-checking and verification of sources when reporting, and has worked for Oil on Whyte, Leafs Herald, the Nation of Blaugrana, Barca International Cules, FromTheBend, Last Word On Sports and NASA.

She got interested in ice hockey after watching the “MVP” trilogy as a second grader and has not gotten over the sport yet. Her favorite player is Alex Ovechkin, whose legendary one-timers live rent free in her heart. The iconic moment when Ovechkin reached 800 career goals with a hat trick in Chicago as the away crowd chanted “Ovi, Ovi” is probably her happiest memory from an ice-rink.

When not enjoying the game, Anjum can be found sailing, star-mapping or collaborating with fellow citizen scientists at NASA.

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Edited by Anjum Rajonno