Oilers captain Connor McDavid has been busy after Edmonton’s second-round playoff ouster against the Stanley Cup-winning Vegas Golden Knights.
McDavid proposed to his longtime girlfriend Lauren Kyle on Thursday after nearly eight years of dating, she announced on Instagram.
Kyle, an interior designer from Toronto, shared a collage of photos from the engagement, including a shot of her pear-cut diamond, which featured a golf band.
“[June 22, 2023] was the best day of my life 😭🤍,” Kyle wrote in her caption. “I cannot put into words how happy I am to be spending the rest of our lives together.
“Almost eight years of growth, happiness and so much love and I can’t believe we have so much more to look forward to.
“I knew you were my person from the day we met and I can’t wait for the beautiful life we are going to create together.
“Thank you for the most thoughtful, picture perfect proposal that I could never have imagined. I love you more than anything.”
The Oilers congratulated the future Mr. and Mrs. in the comments, adding orange and blue heart emojis.
Actress Celeste Desjardins, the partner of Oilers center, Leon Draisaitl, wrote: “So happy 😭❤️❤️❤️❤️ love you guys!!”
Tampa Bay Lightning winger Patrick Maroon added, “Congratulations! Can’t wait to celebrate the big day 🥂.”
Nashville predators defenseman and fellow Canadian, Tyson Barrie, wrote, “This certainly warms my heart ❤️✨.”
Other photos showed the couple in an emotional embrace, as well as the pair posing with their dog, Leonard.
The couple share a three-story luxury mansion in Edmonton, designed by Kyle, that includes a hot tub overlooking River Valley.
Earlier this month, McDavid and Kyle enjoyed a relaxing vacation at Amangiri, a lavish five-star resort in the Secluded Desert Heart of Utah, according to her Instagram.
“When adventure meets relaxation 🧘🏼♀️,” she wrote at the time, including photos of the resort site.
McDavid and Kyle could make their first public appearance as an engaged couple at Monday’s NHL Awards show at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
The Canadian former first overall pick is a finalist for both the Hart Memorial Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award.
The 26-year-old won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL scoring champion for the fifth time — and the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL goal-scoring champion for the first time after a strong season with Edmonton.
McDavid recorded career highs in goals (64), points (153) and assists (89) in 2022-23, and became the third player to lead the League in each category in a season.
The 2023 NHL awards, airing on TNT, Sportsnet and TVA Sports, take place just days before the league’s free-agent signing period opens on July 1.
