Oilers superfan Mark Carney drops 2-word response as Connor McDavid & co. advance in Stanley Cup playoffs

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney showed support for the Edmonton Oilers after their Game 5 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday. With the win the Oilers eliminated the Knights from round 2 of the playoffs to move to the Western Conference finals.

Carney shared a video on X from March when he had joined the Oilers’ morning skate and read their starting lineup. His caption was short:

“Never doubted.”

Carney is a big Oilers fan and has a special connection to the team. Carney played goalie at Harvard University, where he was teammates with former Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli.

Carney’s visit was a special moment for the Oilers. He wore a No. 24 Oilers jersey and skated briefly during the morning practice.

Connor McDavid, the Oilers captain, said that Carney looked like a goalie with his skates on. McDavid added that the Prime Minister is a lifelong Oilers fan and welcomed him in the team’s room.

"It looks like he was a goalie with those goalie skates," McDavid said, via NHL.com. "It's nice to have him here. He's a lifelong Oilers fan, and Oilers fans are welcome here for sure. It's definitely a unique thing."

McDavid also joked that Carney’s security detail might not want him playing goalie in a real game.

Mark Carney was born in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, and grew up in Edmonton. He became Canada’s 24th Prime Minister in March this year after winning the Liberal Party leadership. Carney grew up playing goalie in Edmonton and at Harvard and was also teammates with former Oilers player Mark Benning.

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said that it was a special moment to have the Prime Minister with the team.

"Not too many former Prime Ministers have been Oilers fans, so it's nice to have one that cheers for the good team," Knoblauch said.

Mark Carney’s message shows his confidence in the Oilers, who will hope to keep winning as they chase the Stanley Cup after losing to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 last year.

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Mark Carney bowed to Stuart Skinner, and he dominated the Knights

In the video, Mark Carney got down on knee before reading Stuart Skinner's name in the starting lineup. Coincidentally, Skinner was the star of the show in Game 5, stopping 24 shots and defeating the Knights with a 1-0 shutout.

Kasperi Kapanen scored the winning goal after several attempts near the net. The win moved the Oilers into the Western Conference Final, where they face the Dallas Stars or the Winnipeg Jets. Dallas is leading that series 3-2.