Buffalo Sabres teammates Tyson Jost and Alex Tuch spend a lot of time with each other on the ice. But in a recent “speed dating” skit, the two loyal LGBTQ+ allies took the opportunity to know each other just a littttle bit better away from the arena.
And we loved every second of it!
The aforementioned clip begins with Jost and Tuch touching hands before they delve into some rapid fire questions.
“Ready, baby?” asks Jost.
Boy, are we ever!
While wearing their uniforms, Jost (No. 17) and Tuch (No. 89) ask each other about their secret talents and cheesy pickup lines. Wisely, Jost says he doesn’t employ any one-liners to try and pick up his romantic interests.
Instead, he charms them!
A cute smile like that gives him all of the game he needs.
“You know, you just gotta talk,” he said. “You just got to be yourself. We don’t need pickup lines here.”
But Jost isn’t only charming. The forward is also emotional.
He reveals he cried during the 2008 romcom, Marley & Me.
Awww!
But the gayest answer, if we say so ourselves, belongs to Tuch. He reveals he’s a big karaoke fan, and his favorite song is… “Bohemian Rhapsody!”
What a Queen… literally!
I heart this team so much, keep this stuff coming. pic.twitter.com/aVyIwVt76k
— Jeffery Ade (@Ade780) October 23, 2023
This is so wholesome I love it
— Kelsey (@Shortybutmighty) October 24, 2023
Jost and Tuch’s adorable attempt at speed dating comes at a time when the NHL has been mired in controversy over its policies regarding Pride jerseys and rainbow tape.
Prior to the start of the season, the league sent out a memo clarifying its ban against speciality jerseys and accessories, which sparked widespread backlash.
Over the weekend, Arizona Coyotes player Travis Dermott wrapped his stick in rainbow colors, anyway, giving the league office a giant “eff you” in the process.
The NHL’s reactionary edict was seemingly in response to the controversy over Pride nights last season, in which seven players refused to wear rainbow warmup jerseys. The league cow-towed to the bigoted few; and in return, suffered an avalanche of bad PR.
On Tuesday, it was reported the league reversed its ban on Pride tape and other cause-oriented displays by players on the ice.
The pressure most definitely worked. Over the last couple of weeks, NHL players showed they are some of the strongest allies in all of male pro sports.
While the Sabres’ “speed dating” vid wasn’t tied to the misguided ban, the timing, and contrast, was hard to ignore.
It’s probably not a coincidence that Jost and Tuch are strong allies themselves. Tuch has wrapped his stick in Pride tape before, and Jost has spoken eloquently about the importance of LGBTQ+ inclusion.
“Everybody should be comfortable in their own skin and who they are as a person, whether that’s a fan or player,” he said. “You shouldn’t be hiding who you are.”
When NHL prospect Luke Prokop publicly came out as gay after being drafted, Jost offered his full support.
“Him doing that is just absolutely outstanding, just the courage it takes,” he said. “I hope if there’s any other players out there that want to come out, that they are comfortable enough to do that because you shouldn’t be hiding who you are, you should express who you are and I believe you should feel comfortable in your own skin.”
It’s apparent that Jost and Tuch are comfortable in their own skin, too, unafraid of being a little gay and showing some affection for each other. The NHL screwed up in a big way with its Pride ban.
But the league’s players are seemingly doing all they can to make up for it.
