The main issue I have with post game coverage is the general lack of personality conveyed by the majority of the league. The NHL has some of the classiest athletes and coaches in all of professional sports, but sometimes you just want to hear someone go off.
No canned responses about “working hard”, “winning the battles” and “shaking things up to keep it fresh” (Canucks were fresh tonight, but someone left the lid off). I would love it if there was a bit more colour in those interviews and players said what they were really thinking.
Stuff like this:
PHOENIX COYOTES:
Head Coach Dave Tippett – “I must admit, I saw their lineup card and thought this was all some sort of trick. Luckily, we hung in and stuck to our game plan: scoring more goals”.
Shane Doan – “It’s just like I always say, if I’m given 6 chances, and nobody hits me or knocks me even slightly askew, I will put the puck in the net”.
Ray Whitney – “It’s true, he (Doan) always says that. It was getting annoying and I was gonna ask him to stop. but after tonight we’ve got at least another month of it”.
Gilbert Brule – “I’ve never gotten a goal from being hit before. Honestly if that’s all it takes, I don’t even know why I bother shooting”.
Rostislav Klesla – “I had an alright game I guess. Doesn’t make me feel any better that nobody wants to see Klesa’s naked photo”.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS:
Head Coach Alain Vigneault – “I want you all to know, I have fired the hat I drew the players names from when I made the lineup”.
Roberto Luongo – “Might not have worked tonight, but the only way I’m gonna assure my place as the starter on this team is to give out big rebounds and make twice as many saves. That’s just simple math right there”.
Henrik Sedin – “How long before “You’re looking Henrik Sedin good” becomes a catchphrase?”
Daniel Sedin – “I agree with Henrik… in principle”.
Dale Weise – “Malhotra’s personal issue? I told him if he didn’t back out of the game he couldn’t come to my birthday party. There’s gonna be ice cream cake, so I was confident my gambit would work”.
David Booth – “It’s a tough loss, you know, but I was able to keep my streak of working hard and being a happy human being intact, so that’s kinda special”.
Kevin Bieksa – “I don’t wanna be that guy, but there were a few times tonight I was trying to focus and the fans were, ughh… I don’t want to say this, but… they were a little too loud. It distracted me. We are in a real goldilocks scenario here”.
Mason Raymond – “I don’t know what went wrong tonight. My pre-game prep of watching “Rudy” and “8 Mile” over and over again didn’t work out the way I hoped. Nobody carried me off the ice on their shoulders… or believed in me”.
(Papa Doc was pretty pissed Rudy got to play in the big game)
You can follow j.Bowman on twitter (@jBowmancouver). Everything he’s ever accomplished in his life, he watched Rudy immediately beforehand.
