NHL Teams x Gilmore Girls

NHL Teams x Gilmore Girls

Grace Brege

“Name two things the girlies love.”

Easy: Hockey and Gilmore Girls.

Here is a list of ten Gilmore Girls characters, and which NHL team they represent:

Lorelai Gilmore → Buffalo Sabres

Lorelai is far and away represented by the Sabres. She’s fast-talking, chaotic, endlessly charming, and holding things together through sheer improvisation and heart. The Sabres have been a team that is young at heart with relentless disregard for negative expectations. Both Lorelai and the Sabres have been consistently underestimated, yet managed to subvert those expectations.

Rory Gilmore → Edmonton Oilers

Both Rory and the Oilers are smart, successful, and fun to watch. They’re loaded with once-in-a-generation talent, yet they still have the ability to be infuriating. The Oilers have squandered the Connor McDavid era with bad front office decisions and an irresponsible level of conviction. Rory had all the potential in the world, but pretentiously and selfishly was involved in terrible relationships and educational decisions that tarnished her character. These subjects should be a fan favorite, but insist on shooting themselves in the foot.

Luke Danes → Dallas Stars

They’re no-nonsense, unglamorous, and structurally sound. Both Luke and the Stars show up and do their job without needing anyone's praise. They both have an undeniable ability to be the grizzly, reliable characters. You might not always think that their behaviors are justified, but somehow they always end up being productive in the end.

Emily Gilmore → Boston Bruins

They’re old school, they're demanding, and they have zero patience for weakness. They like to  earn the respect that comes with being an historical tycoon rather than relying on the “respect your elders” doctrine. Nobody roots against the Bruins out of spite, but you generally just don't want to be on the other side of them. Similarly, nobody roots against Emily because Lorelai doesn't like her. Both Emily and the Bruins have a well earned reputation, but they can be a little rough around the edges. 

Richard Gilmore → New York Rangers

Richard and the Rangers are both respectable, old-money, lay low characters. Neither have done anything for the record books in their last few years on screen, but they will never be written off as never having been an integral character regardless. Both Richard and the NYR maintain the reputation of being both currently unexciting and deeply important to their franchise. 

Paris Geller → Florida Panthers

What do the Panthers and Paris Geller have in common? They’re both brilliant, overly confident, over-prepared, and completely shameless about running their opponents over on the way to winning. The Panthers will stop at no cost to become the most intimidating, talented, ruthless roster in the NHL. Paris will stop at nothing to prove her aptitude and intelligence. Both have their moments of reverence, but they still manage to maintain a staunch superiority complex. Paris and the Panthers are willing to put their reputation on the line to be revered as the best, and sometimes you can’t argue that they’re not.

Kirk Gleason → Utah Mammoth

Kirk is a zany powderkeg of a person, and the Mammoth carry that same unpredictable energy onto the ice. Nobody quite knows what to make of either of them, yet somehow their story keeps pulling people in. Both are deeply weird and impossible to predict from one night to the next, but adored by the fans who watch them. They aren’t exactly what you'd hold up as an example for anyone trying to learn how things are supposed to be done, but rooting for them is a wholesome choice no matter what.

Sookie St. James → Winnipeg Jets

They’re sweet, emotional, work harder than everyone else in the room, and are adored by the people who watch them every night. They both have the ability to be big winners, but they seem to make little mistakes that keep them behind. Sookie is an incredible chef, but her impulsivity and unwillingness to take risks keep her from creating a Michelin star career. Winnipeg has the talent to go all the way, but tends to find a way to fall just short when the stakes are highest, leaving everyone still waiting for the execution that matches the effort.

Michel Gerard → Columbus Blue Jackets

Michel is sharp and competent without needing anyone’s approval. The Blue Jackets have pieces that exude promise worth paying attention to, yet the hockey world barely looks their way, and the team as a whole seems almost content with staying that humbly under the radar. Michel would rather be underestimated and left to his own work than embraced and asked to perform an enthusiasm he doesn't feel. Columbus carries that same quiet indifference to outside approval.

Jess Mariano → Toronto Maple Leafs

Jess and the Maple Leafs both have a way of making people wait through disappointment while still managing to be a character to root for. He is rebellious and sarcastic, and his bad calls and letdowns have piled up over the years without wearing out most people’s patience. Toronto keeps building rosters that look ready to finally break through, only to unravel again when the pressure is highest, yet the fans keep watching anyway. Every fresh start with Jess feels the same way that the beginning of a season feels in Toronto; it seems like it all finally clicks, because everyone remembers exactly why they never fully gave up.