Nicest and rudest NHLers you've met

[Table 5]

Reading this thread, I'm pretty sure I'd be on the jerk list. I don't like making small-talk with strangers even though I'm a nobody...I can't even imagine how much I'd hate it if I had to do it every 5 minutes with everyone I run into in my day. It seems like if every player doesn't go out of their way to talk with you for 20 minutes or stop everything and play street hockey with your kids, they are just the worst person alive.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Reading this thread, I'm pretty sure I'd be on the jerk list. I don't like making small-talk with strangers even though I'm a nobody...I can't even imagine how much I'd hate it if I had to do it every 5 minutes with everyone I run into in my day. It seems like if every player doesn't go out of their way to talk with you for 20 minutes or stop everything and play street hockey with your kids, they are just the worst person alive.

Well, you're kind of taking it to the other extreme. I get it, they get approached all the time and don't want to chat with every fan, but there's a happy medium between a 20 minute conversation and the dickish dismissive/ignoring attitude that some players have in public.

It's like Robyn Regehr at Cowboys. Yeah, I get it, you're out with a bunch of Flames fans around and want to stick with your friends, but when I say "Good game, man" while we're standing right beside each other and you stare straight forward and pretend I don't exist, instead of a just a simple "thanks", then yeah I'm going to think you're a piece of ****.

[Table 5]

Maybe he just wanted to take a leak in silence.

[Soliak]

Ran into all of the Avs a few weeks ago:

MacKinnon: Nice kid, fame hasn't gone to his head yet.

Duchene: Massive ####### and definitely one of the ugliest athletes I have met. He had like 3 button undone on his shirt to show off this big flashy gold chain. Massive wanker, could tell he thought highly of himself.

Giguere: Coolest dude on the Avs. Introduced me to all the other players and bought me 6 rounds of shots and lots of drinks. Spoke about Australia for ages, cool experience.

Tangs: Nice guy. Spoke about Iginla for ages.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Wormius

I wouldn't argue whether Hall is a jerk, but in general most people aren't great with witty comebacks. You had a pretty good line there about the sticks, but what can you really respond back with within a few seconds? Not everybody can channel their inner Bryzgalov.

I know, what I should have said was his golf clubs were jamming things up. Obviously I confused him there.

[combustiblefuel]

Chris Osgood is one of the nicest I've met . very down to earth. Of course I have to say Jason chemira . grew up together honestly one of the nicest people I have ever met and still know.

During my days in Calgary I worked at The Living Room and met many a flame(It was a place at the time the flames would come frequently.) Iggy always paid the bill no matter what. But my favorite was kipper. I spoke with him for a bit after we closed but let the flames stay a bit after. He bought me a double vodka. We talked about playing goalie and he gave me a couple of tips . I finished my drink as fast as I could bexuase I didn't want to seem like a groupie . I shook his hand and thanked him , wished him well for the rest of the playoffs.

As for the rudest its Nail Yakopov . He was a dick. Met him last year in a local after the subway super series in Victoria.I offered to buy him a drink. He was with another player from team Russia. I had a Flames cap on . He pointed at my head gear and started laughing . He then said something in Russian and hit my hat off!! I picked up my hat looked at him and said the hell is your problem. He said something again in Russian turn to the other guy then he said something in Russian. All I could do is stand their and looked shocked. As much as I wanted to hit this kid . What could I do??? I make a good living wage but can't afford a lawsuit. That and ya know I am much older then him.

[Clarkey]

"I partied with _____ hockey player." Translation, "I happend to be at the same bar as ______ hockey player."

[C_of_Red28]

Nicest: Iginla, Adam Creighton, and Al MacInnis
Jerk: Gretzky, Brett Hall

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Wormius

I wouldn't argue whether Hall is a jerk, but in general most people aren't great with witty comebacks. You had a pretty good line there about the sticks, but what can you really respond back with within a few seconds? Not everybody can channel their inner Bryzgalov.

True for the most part I'm sure, but my experiences with Hall have been pretty much the same. I don't expect a full conversation, but he rarely acknowledges he's being spoke too.

[Alberta_Beef]

I have met several former NHLers through work over the past few years. None stood out as rude at all.

Let's see there has been:
Freddie Brathwaite, Kelly Kisio, Ryan McGill, all of the Sutter brothers plus Brandon & Brett, Ron Francis, Trent Klatt, Joel Otto, Brendan Morrison, Geoff Sanderson, Steve Konwalchuk, Clint Malarchuk and I know others that I just cannot remember at the moment.

Rich and Darryl Sutter were incredibly nice. Darryl is hilarious and he messes with everyone, not just the media. Ron Francis is also very nice.

I have also met Carolina Hurricane scouts Tony MacDonald, Sheldon Ferguson and Bert Marshall. Bert Marshall I have had the pleasure of talking to now on 4 or 5 occasions and he is great to talk to. He just loves talking hockey.

[Regulator75]

Originally Posted by C_of_Red28

Jerk: Brett Hall

Taylor's Dad?

[Poe969]

All NHL players are jerks... None of them came to my birthday party or even sent gifts.

Lol

I agree that there are guys who will talk with anyone almost any time but the guys who don't probably have good reasons.

[EldrickOnIce]

Biggest jerk ever: Dominik Hasek
Funniest ever: Rob Ray
Nicest guy ever: Doug Gilmour
Most down to earth: Darryl Sutter
Most entitled: Kevin Lowe

[Brando]

Lanny comes into my place of work often. He has to be at the top of the list of nice guys. Very genuine. He will sit and talk to me about the Flames for an hour if I wanted. Rich Sutter is the same way.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

Biggest jerk ever: Dominik Hasek
Funniest ever: Rob Ray
Nicest guy ever: Doug Gilmour
Most down to earth: Darryl Sutter
Most entitled: Kevin Lowe

Like anyone needed to be told that

[getbak]

I wonder if Kevin Lowe goes to the Olympics and laughs at the flag because it only has five rings?

[Regulator75]

Miikka and Dion were nice, until they stole my friends smokes.

[OzSome]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Reading this thread, I'm pretty sure I'd be on the jerk list. I don't like making small-talk with strangers even though I'm a nobody...I can't even imagine how much I'd hate it if I had to do it every 5 minutes with everyone I run into in my day. It seems like if every player doesn't go out of their way to talk with you for 20 minutes or stop everything and play street hockey with your kids, they are just the worst person alive.

I agree. Sometimes player might be tired and just want to be left alone but that doesn't mean he is a jerk. I guess I can be a jerk too because most morning, I just want to work quietly and just don't want to talk to anyone. Not really a morning person I guess.

I remember back in the 80s, people are calling Mike Vernon a jerk, big ego and party animal. These are based on one person spreading rumours. I find that being opposite when I met Vernon, Patterson, Macoun and Berezan at the restaurant I used to work at in 1986. Those 4 comes in at the restaurant to have late lunch before they headed to Edmonton or the day before their game vs the Oilers. All 4 players were so nice and Vernon always smiles and joke around. I a
so remembered these guys can eat

Al MacInnis was another one. That's because one night him and his brother had an argument and a fight with some fan(s) at the bar, everybody calls him a jerk and the media and some fans even wanted him gone. I remembered Steve Simmons being a ######-bag reporter. He was the Eric Francis ###### back then.

[GreenLantern]

Originally Posted by MelBridgeman

Ran into Lanny at National on 17th - Yup class act he is

Never met Gordie Howe but he was dining at a restaurant I was working at. When the table of 12 of older men I was serving told me they were all from Detroit - I made the dumb mistake of saying "Oh really Did you know Gordie Howe is on the other side of the restaurant". They all proceeded to get up and seek pictures and autographs, which of course Mr. Howe obliged

My Grandpa grew up in the same town as Gordie, they played minor hockey together. Very nice guy, I had supper with him once as a wee lad at my grandparents. He was in town for some alumni supper or charity supper or something. He spent the night trying to convince me that he was better than Lanny McDonald, jokingly of course.. but in actuality I guess he was... and convert me to a Red Wings fan. Anyway, at one point he said something like "Alright well if you aren't going to change your mind, you might as well give me something for him to autograph."

So my Mom took a picture of me in my Lanny jersey and got it developed the next day for Mr. Howe to take with him. I can only imagine the jokes that the two exchanged as he got Lanny to sign it. I still have that picture framed, it is one of my favourite (if not favourite) posessions:

(Spoilered for size)

Spoiler!

That picture is pretty old now, and the writing has been slowly fading off of it. I wonder if there is anything I can do to better preserve it?

Met him years later, he of course didn't remember me until I mentioned my Grandpa, then he pretended to but I still don't think he did. Either way he was really nice, but much more interested in the girl I was with than talking to me :P He has a hand shake that could send even Ken King to his knees.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by OzSome

I remembered Steve Simmons being a ######-bag reporter. He was the Eric Francis ###### back then.

Simmons was the worst reporter to ever cover the Flames. He made Francis and Dowbiggen look like Peter Maher and Eric Duhatschek. He was on tv a couple of years ago laughing about trying to create controversy and get Bob Johnson fired just because the Flames dared to hire an American college guy to coach a Canadian team.