Nicest and rudest NHLers you've met

[puckluck]

Originally Posted by Titan

Another time the oilers ate at a restaurant in Red Deer. A rookie was stuck with the bill and was freaking out as he had no cash. Gretz quietly slipped the waitress his card and picked up the entire tab.

What's up with Oiler players and restaurant bills? Do they understand it costs money to eat at a restaurant even if they are a professional hockey players? Good thing Gretzky was there or we might have had the first of many dine and dashes to come.

[VO #23]

I didn't actually meet him, but Ken Dryden is a great, great man. About 20 years ago he was in town doing a book signing/promotion and the store owner asked my grandpa (an author) to take him for lunch, show him around town, etc. At one point my grandpa told him that I played hockey (I was about 11).

Two weeks later, I received a four-page handwritten letter from Ken Dryden addressed to me about hockey, teamwork, and how it gave him the tools to have a successful life. I was completely floored. And he also bought a really nice Habs hat for me and autographed it.

I've met a few other NHL'ers - Iginla bought me a beer one night at Ceili's after he signed his first big contract and I drunkenly joked to him that he better take the Flames to the playoffs, and we had a 5 minute chat about some other stuff too. But the Dryden story really sticks out for me.

[loob job]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

I ran into Staios walking out of a Tims as I was heading in, held the door for me. It was right before he was going to return for being injured and he was nice, I wished him well, said hope he is healed up. Nice guy.

I've actually played a round of golf with Staios, he was a great guy, that was when he was with the oil, but still classy guy.

[Coys1882]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I went to school with a guy that was playing for the Stars at the time and got to hang out with some of them. Trust me Mike Modano really likes himself.

I had the pleasure of attending a hockey school in my hometown once that was taught by Mike Modano and some other PA Raiders.

Since I was a Blades fan, my joy didn't come from meeting and being taught by some Raiders, but by a very arrogant Modano getting jersyied by an old guy on our senior men's team sick of putting up with his attitude.

I also got to meet Rick Tocchet once. I was an usher at the Saddledome and used my job to sneak into the Kings dressing room to meet him. Great guy - signed some stuff for me and chatted with me for about 10 minutes. He seemed surprised that someone was there to not see Gretzky.

[theorocks]

Gretzky by a long shot ....signed my hockey stick in 1979 right on his 18th birthday.....btw..Bobby Clark was a jerk

[manwiches]

Agree with some posters about Theo. I've met him on 3 different occasions, and he was two different people. First time when I was a kid in 95 at Japanese Village, he came in with the team, and he was only guy on the team who didn't acknowledge me or my sister, even though we are friends with the owner who brought us back to take pictures and get autographs from them. Second time was outside of a restaurant 5 years ago, and he thought he was king ##### and was super obnoxious and loud. Last time was just a couple months ago at Costco, where I went to say hi while he was signing books and give him some positive feedback on his book. He was extremely humble and nice the last time, and even asked if i wanted a picture.

Going back to the Japanese Village story, I met pretty much the entire team from the 95. My family and I was sitting with Sandy McCarthy and his family at the same table, and as my giddiness started to subside once i realized who he was, and coming to terms with not disturbing him at dinner, the whole team walked in and said hi to Sandy. Wide eyed, the owner asked me and my sis if we wanted to go back and meet them.

Guys who i remember the most from that night were German Titov, Cale Hulse, and of course Jarome. Even as a rookie, he was so down to earth, and super nice.

I was also pretty good friends with Doug Risebrough's daughter in elementary, and he seemed like a nice enough guy when i did meet him. My sis went to school with Gary Robert's daughter, and she had nothing but nice things to say about him. She even got him to sign my one and only flames jersey at the time, now proudly framed and hung at my house.

[NoCupsIn40Years]

I ran into Milan Lucic once, it was right before the WHL playoffs started and I knew he was a Bruins draft pick. I sorta lied telling him that I'm a Bruins fan, but his eyes lit up when I mentioned it. I told him that I hope to see him with the big club and he makes the NHL team a year later.

He also saved the integrity hockey:



Other than that, I met Strudwick, he was very kind and was pretty funny too. Cory Cross was an ass though.

[Otto29]

I met Bobby Hull back in 1990. He was really nice. It was an autograph session and there was a huge line but he took the time to chat for a minute. I will never forget it.

[89loobjob]

Nicest guy for me was actually Phaneuf. Met him in PEI during the off season - he was picking up his parents and little bro who were on the same flight as us (somewhat surprisingly a) they were not flying 1st class and b) my wife picked them out when we took off in Calgary noting that they looked like Phaneuf).

Anyhoo - my nephew met me at the airport and him and I went over to chat him up and he was really down to earth - looked you in the eye when you were talking, was genuinely interested in what we were talking about and our background.

Other than that, I met St. Louis, Dingman and Brad Richards during a stag party and while St. Louis seemed like he was just trying to get a peek at the stripper, Dingman and Richards were really gracious with their time (the groom was from the same town as Richards - another PEI connection).

As a kid I had a chance to meet Lanny - he was pure class all the way despite my very ham handed/nervous request for an autograph.

Also met Bobby Hull on the same autograph tour as Otto29, but at an ESSO in PEI (where else?) - he was pretty cool.

Finally, I served Risebrough at a restaurant in Charlottetown during the summer of 96 or 97 and he was very surprised I knew who he was and we chatted for a bit - pretty funny guy.

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by Old Yeller

There seems to be a trend about the rudest already... I've never met him, but it kind of surprises me.

If u mean reghr I think people are confusing rude with quiet.

The worst part about being a professional athlete is you have to spend your entire life behaving perfectly to everyone you see, or they think you are an epic dick.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Flames in 07

If u mean reghr I think people are confusing rude with quiet.

The worst part about being a professional athlete is you have to spend your entire life behaving perfectly to everyone you see, or they think you are an epic dick.

He doesn't do the quiet thing, he does the "give a pissed off look and turn away" thing. It's still his right, there's nothing that says you have to be nice to every fan, but I can definitly see how many people see it as rude, as evidenced by the many responses stating just that in this thread.

[j-bo4]

Went to the NHL awards in June.

Skinner, Stamkos, Vigneault, Laperriere, Lidstrom, Ryan, Phil the cup man and Bettman were all very nice. Bylsma was a ######.

[MikeMc]

I know its very surprising but Darcy Tucker is also an ahole and a half.

And a friend of mine went to get Stevie Y's autograph after a game when he was a kid, for some reason Yzerman mumbled something then pushed him outta the way, kid fell back onto the side of a bread truck. Guys hated him every since. ha.

[-TC-]

I hung out with the coaches last season after a game here in Edmonton. McGill & Lowry were the most fun but Brent has a good sense of humor too.

[PIMking]

Originally Posted by -TC-

I hung out with the coaches last season after a game here in Edmonton. McGill & Lowry were the most fun but Brent has a good sense of humor too.

I got to speak with McGill a few times on an occasion when they were in the qc, he comes off as a jerk but was pretty cool. He seemed to like it when a fan actually knew a little bit about hockey.

[Bourque's Twin]

Nicest
Theo Fleury, Ron Stern, Sasha Lakovic

Rudest
Kesler

[Baaarrden]

I met Eric Godard and Jerred Smithson in the locker room at a Vernon Vipers alumni game about 5 years ago and both were very friendly and willing to talk and sign an a couple autographs haha. Also met Reggie at a Stamps game last year and he seemed kind of annoyed by the fact that I asked him for an autograph.

[alan21]

Conroy and Tanguay were the nicest I've met.

The one time I met Robyn Regehr he was nice and signed my jersey. Seemed nice enough to me. Perhaps some of you just caught him on a bad day.

[Sask_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by Flames in 07

If u mean reghr I think people are confusing rude with quiet.

The worst part about being a professional athlete is you have to spend your entire life behaving perfectly to everyone you see, or they think you are an epic dick.

Met Regehr in Saskatoon airport in June. I asked him for a picture, planning on just thanking him and parting ways. He started a conversation which lasted around 10 minutes. We discussed many things, including the Finals which were on. We both agreed Boston was going to come back (I think it was after Game 5). He seemed like a genuine nice guy, unlike other athletes I've met who have the "sign the autograph and get outta here" way of thinking.

[Captain_Obvious]

I met Iggy once around his rookie season. Maybe it was a year after. He was at the Safeway in Kensington picking out a can of chunky soup.

I started chanting "Iggy! Iggy! Iggy!" and he smiled and laughed.

Not much of a story but it was enough for me at the time. I'm about the same age as him so I felt weird asking for an autograph so I left it at that.

A few years ago (when he was already at super star status) my friend was delivering a fridge to Iggy's neighbour's house. This friend isn't a hockey fan at all and he and his pal from work needed to take the door off to get in the house but they didn't have tools that day. My friend saw Iggy come out of his house (had no idea who he was until told later) and yelled "Hey buddy you got a tool set?"

Iggy brought it over and told them to leave it on the steps when they were done. Said he was really cool about it.

Nice guy in my books.