Summer is quickly coming to an end and that means the 2023-2024 NHL season is almost here.
As Canada's top hockey players prepare to head back onto the ice, some may be reflecting on their off-season plans, including several NHL-studded weddings that happened in British Columbia.
Three NHL players got married in either B.C.'s Lake Country or the province's capital and from the guest-lists to the decor and venues, each wedding looked pretty epic.
From Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon at Tyson Barrie's wedding in Victoria to John Tavares, Morgan Rielly and Mitch Marner at Alex Kerfoot's nuptials in the Okanagan, Canada's top hockey players know how to party and it showed.
Here are all the NHL players who partied on Canada's west coast this summer.
Tyson Barrie & Emma Rose
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Tyson Barrie, who currently plays defence for the Nashville Predators, married his longtime love Emma Rose in Victoria on July 8.
Prior to playing for a U.S. team, Barrie played for the Edmonton Oilers and the Toronto Maple Leafs so there were a lot of familiar faces from those two teams at his wedding.
Barrie's celebration took over B.C.'s capital with the wedding party being spotted all over downtown the weekend of the event.
In photos and videos shared online by Rose, she and her groom were seen dancing and singing on top of the bar at a popular place called The Local in Victoria and Toronto Maple Leafs' Mitch Marner is even seen playing bartender.
Some of the biggest names in the league like Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Evander Kane, Mike Smith, Darnell Nurse and Nathan MacKinnon were all seen at the celebration that took place at a private estate near Oak Bay Beach Hotel.
Crosby and MacKinnon were both groomsmen at the wedding and McDavid's fiancée Lauren Kyle was part of the bridal party. Kyle shared several snaps from the big day, including one of her with McDavid and another one of the Edmonton Oiler's captain holding Barrie's dog Ralph who was sporting a tux of his own.
Taliah Leigh who was the photographer at the Barrie wedding has also posted lots of intimate and candid photos and videos from the event.
Narcity spoke with Taliah in July to get a sense of what the wedding was like and the photographer shared some fun stories like how she met Rose over seven years ago when she first started dating Barrie. She also revealed a surprise that happened right before the ceremony.
"While all the boys were getting ready, they decided to randomly go for a dip in the ocean about five minutes before Tyson was supposed to be ready," she explained.
"They just all of a sudden ran in the water and then jumped and warmed up in the hot tub and he got ready for his wedding."
The photographer also discussed how the wedding party and guests seemed like a "tight-knit group" despite it being almost 300 people and "countless NHL players from various teams."
Alex Kerfoot & Marissa Balleza
Former Toronto Maple Leafs player Alex Kerfoot was next up in terms of NHL weddings in B.C.
Kerfoot married his longtime girlfriend Marissa Balleza on July 22 in front of lots of familiar faces in the National Hockey League.
One photo shared by Morgan Rielly's fiancée and Canadian skating superstar Tessa Virtue shows Kerfoot surrounded by Mitch Marner, John Tavares, Michael Bunting, Jake Muzzin, Justin Holl, and Rielly.
Kerfoot is grinning from ear to ear as he sits shirtless and holding a glass of wine with his buddies.
Colin Blackwell, who once played for the Leafs and is currently with the Chicago Blackhawks, also posted several photos and videos from the wedding on his Instagram page, including one of the newlyweds dancing.
You know it's a fun wedding when the groom or multiple men (as Balleza noted in one of her Instagram captions) are walking around with their tarps off. That's hockey slang for taking off your shirt!
Before his wedding, Kerfoot shared that he signed with the Arizona Coyotes so his wedding was also a great way to say goodbye to some of his former teammates before the upcoming season.
Ethan Bear & Lenasia Ned
Former Vancouver Canucks defenceman and Edmonton Oiler Ethan Bear was another groom this summer who said "I do" to his bride with a stunning B.C. backdrop of Okanagan Lake.
Bear married Lenasia Ned in a ceremony at 50th Parallel Estate Winery on July 29.
The Cree-Canadian ice hockey player had plenty of NHL players on his guest list, including Mathew Barzal with the New York Islanders, Jujhar Khaira with the Chicago Blackhawks, Caleb Jones, Riley Stillman with the Buffalo Sabres and Keegan Kolesar with Vegas Golden Knights.
The videographer who worked at the wedding, Tim Feeny with Lime Light Studios, shared an intimate look at the ceremony, including photos of the couple with their daughter and Ned reading her vows to her new husband.
The video also showed the guests showing off their moves on the dance floor at what looked like a great party.
Based on this summer alone and how many NHL stars got engaged, we have plenty of weddings to look forward to in 2024.
Edmonton Oiler's captain Connor McDavid got engaged in Muskoka this summer to his longtime partner Lauren Kyle. Montreal Canadiens' Brendan Gallagher also proposed to his girlfriend Emma Fortin in Whistler. Former player with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Mason Marchment, also got down on one knee and asked his girlfriend Alexis Durham to marry him.
Let's not forget Toronto Maple Leafs star Morgan Rielly who also got engaged early this year to Canadian Olympic gold medallist Tessa Virtue. They have been quiet about their wedding plans, so we're eagerly waiting to see the couple tie the knot and what kind of celebration they have planned!
Seeing as B.C. is a popular wedding destination among hockey's biggest stars, hopefully, some of these upcoming celebrations will also take place on Canada's west coast!
These 3 NHL Stars Got Married In BC This Summer & The Weddings Looked Like The Best Parties
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