Elon Musk — billionaire entrepreneur and owner of X (formerly Twitter) — has been officially banned from attending all upcoming Edmonton Oilers games, following what team officials called “a gross act of public disrespect” toward team captain Connor McDavid.
The decision was made public late Thursday night in an emergency press statement issued by the Edmonton Oilers executive board, following days of rising tension between the tech mogul and the NHL franchise’s loyal fanbase.
The Incident That Sparked It All
According to reports, the controversy began after Elon Musk made a series of controversial posts on X earlier this week, one of which seemingly mocked Connor McDavid’s leadership following a recent playoff loss. Musk — who has developed a reputation for trolling public figures — replied to a hockey fan’s post by writing:
“Overhyped. If McDavid had AI-level strategy, maybe they’d actually win when it matters.”
The post instantly ignited outrage, not just among Oilers fans, but across the hockey world. Many felt Musk had crossed the line by targeting McDavid — widely regarded as the most talented and hardworking player in the NHL today.
McDavid, known for his calm demeanor and sportsmanship, declined to respond publicly, but teammates and fans rallied around their captain. Veteran defenseman Darnell Nurse tweeted simply:
“We ride with 97. Always.”
The Oilers Take Action
Just two days after the post went viral, the Edmonton Oilers’ ownership released a scathing open letter, condemning Musk’s remarks as “unfounded, disrespectful, and detrimental to the values of sportsmanship and community that the Oilers organization stands for.”
The letter concluded with a bold announcement:
“Effective immediately, Elon Musk is banned from attending any home or away games involving the Edmonton Oilers for the remainder of the season and playoffs. We do not tolerate disrespect toward our players, especially not our captain.”
Reactions Pour In
The hockey community erupted with support for the Oilers’ decision.
TSN analyst James Duthie weighed in:
“I never thought I’d see the day when Elon Musk was banned from a hockey arena, but hey — don’t come for Connor McDavid and expect to walk away clean.”
Even NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman was reportedly “briefed on the situation” and expressed support for the team’s right to protect its players from public ridicule.
Social media was ablaze with reactions, trending hashtags like #StandWithConnor and #MuskVsMcDavid dominating X, Instagram, and TikTok.
“Imagine disrespecting the Wayne Gretzky of our era and thinking there wouldn’t be consequences,” one fan posted.
“McDavid has done more for hockey than Musk has done for humanity lately,” another wrote.
Musk Responds
In classic Musk fashion, the tech titan responded with a meme on X, depicting himself being thrown out of Rogers Place by a cartoon Zamboni. The caption read:
“Guess I’ll watch from Mars then. 🚀🏒”
While some fans found it amusing, many saw it as another instance of Musk refusing to take accountability.
