Players you just can't stand since their playing days

[Big Phil]

Eric Lindros - I didn't like the things he did while he was playing, such as the Soo situation in the OHL and then the carbon copy happening with Quebec in the NHL. But once he got on the ice his play made up for those issues. He was fun to watch, entertaining and a rarity that I don't we ever saw prior or since. The Philly situation soured his reputation a bit more (even if Clarke was at fault too) and what he did in the NHL outside of a Philly uniform we all prefer to forget. Many of us want to remember him as never playing after Stevens' big hit. So as a player, I liked him. But since then? In the last few days he made waves by talking about how he thinks the NHL should "take hitting out of the game" because he got concussions and he feels the best way to prevent them is by doing this. Granted, if he had his head up neither one of Stevens, Kasparaitis or Gill would have concussed him. But here is a guy who made a living from the big hit. Hockey has lost its intensity but this guy would like nothing more than to turn this into the WNHL?

Ken Dryden - Great goalie, deserving HHOFer. A legend. I just thought he drove me nuts outside of the ice. I sort of had to like him as a Leafs exec in the late 1990s/early 2000s, and even though he was as boring as watching paint dry in an interview and sometimes talked as if he was reading a children's book I could live with that, even if it annoyed me. Once he started parroting Lindros' "no hitting" comment in the NHL is when he just took it to another level. Leave the game alone Ken..........Eric!

Jacques Lemaire - Again, another deserving HHOFer. But as a coach he was a drain on the game. Drove Lafleur into early retirement and even if it might have happened anyway he helped turn hockey in the mid 1990s into a slow crawl. Even the day he got hired with Minnesota I figured there couldn't have been a worse coach to start a franchise out with.

Glenn Healy - I was neither here nor there with Healy as a goalie, but as an analyst/colour commentator he has the personality of a damp washclosh. He's a bore. Doesn't have a voice for hockey, still has that nerdy personality that doesn't translate into TV very well and especially hockey, and is smug without being entertaining.

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[Nick Hansen]

Steve Moore never rubbed me the right way after his career.

A goon who tried to pretend he was actually a good hockey player. The truth is, that after the lockout he would never have come back.

 

[Sensinitis]

Steve Moore never rubbed me the right way after his career.

A goon who tried to pretend he was actually a good hockey player. The truth is, that after the lockout he would never have come back.

steve Moore was a goon? first time I ever hear him described that way.

edit: a quick google of his stats shows he didn't have great numbers in the pros, but barely any PIMs for a "goon"...so pretty sure that's BS

edit: oh my god, please tell me you're not just a Canucks fan still bitter about the Naslund hit and for that reason only calling Moore a goon...

 

[Nick Hansen]

steve Moore was a goon? first time I ever hear him described that way.

edit: a quick google of his stats shows he didn't have great numbers in the pros, but barely any PIMs for a "goon"...so pretty sure that's BS

Goon or not goon, he was a pretty crap player who took liberties with one of the game's best players at the time. And didn't own up to it sufficiently.

 

[Sensinitis]

yeah, that's what I thought...he doesn't jump nor lift his elbow (which is what I always say about this hit). it's a poor decision but in a sport that is so fast-paced...it happens. naslund reached for the puck and catches it in the head...

 

[Doctor No]

Steve Moore never rubbed me the right way after his career.

A goon who tried to pretend he was actually a good hockey player. The truth is, that after the lockout he would never have come back.

What a brutal take.

 

[Nick Hansen]

Where is Marc Savards's legal action against Matt Cooke?

 

[Admiral Awesome]

Goon or not goon, he was a pretty crap player who took liberties with one of the game's best players at the time. And didn't own up to it sufficiently.

The hit on Naslund wasn't all that dirty, plus he fought earlier in that infamous game, so I'm not sure what you're talking about.

 

[streitz]

Edited my post since I completely misread the thread.


I'd keep Lindros for the no hitting stuff.

 

[The Panther]

I think some of you are missing the point that this is about players you dislike SINCE their playing days, not during.

Ahem...

I think I gradually disliked Trevor Linden more from late in his career to post-career. Not only was he the most humorless interview ever, but some of his comments during the lockout were terrible. On top of that, as a GM he sank the Canucks.

I sometimes can't stand Gretzky's post-career PR image. Like Jackie Chan with the People's Republic of China, Gretzky has consciously become a mouthpiece for Bettman and his cronies, probably because he doesn't have much else to do. I also kind of lost respect when he elevated himself to NHL head coach despite having no experience.

Theoren Fleury. I know everyone wants to give him the benefit of the doubt because he is a victim of abuse and has spoken out about it (usually while plugging something). I also give him credit for this. But it doesn't cancel his being a total dick to most of the people he played with and for during his career. Being a figure skater and recording a country album hasn't really helped his post-career integrity either.

Agree with Big Phil about Healey. How has this fool maintained a broadcasting job this long...?

 

[Staniowski]

Eric Lindros - I didn't like the things he did while he was playing, such as the Soo situation in the OHL and then the carbon copy happening with Quebec in the NHL. But once he got on the ice his play made up for those issues. He was fun to watch, entertaining and a rarity that I don't we ever saw prior or since. The Philly situation soured his reputation a bit more (even if Clarke was at fault too) and what he did in the NHL outside of a Philly uniform we all prefer to forget. Many of us want to remember him as never playing after Stevens' big hit. So as a player, I liked him. But since then? In the last few days he made waves by talking about how he thinks the NHL should "take hitting out of the game" because he got concussions and he feels the best way to prevent them is by doing this. Granted, if he had his head up neither one of Stevens, Kasparaitis or Gill would have concussed him. But here is a guy who made a living from the big hit. Hockey has lost its intensity but this guy would like nothing more than to turn this into the WNHL?

Ken Dryden - Great goalie, deserving HHOFer. A legend. I just thought he drove me nuts outside of the ice. I sort of had to like him as a Leafs exec in the late 1990s/early 2000s, and even though he was as boring as watching paint dry in an interview and sometimes talked as if he was reading a children's book I could live with that, even if it annoyed me. Once he started parroting Lindros' "no hitting" comment in the NHL is when he just took it to another level. Leave the game alone Ken..........Eric!

Jacques Lemaire - Again, another deserving HHOFer. But as a coach he was a drain on the game. Drove Lafleur into early retirement and even if it might have happened anyway he helped turn hockey in the mid 1990s into a slow crawl. Even the day he got hired with Minnesota I figured there couldn't have been a worse coach to start a franchise out with.

Glenn Healy - I was neither here nor there with Healy as a goalie, but as an analyst/colour commentator he has the personality of a damp washclosh. He's a bore. Doesn't have a voice for hockey, still has that nerdy personality that doesn't translate into TV very well and especially hockey, and is smug without being entertaining.

I think roughly the opposite about Lindros. I couldn't stand him as a player. One of my least favourite players ever. Now, however you feel about his opinions on hitting, he seems like a more decent guy.

Lemaire....well, he's arguably influenced today's NHL style of play more than just about anybody. So, if you don't like said style of play, I can understand your issues with him. But he was just coaching the way he thought would be most successful. And it was successful. And it wasn't that different from the way he played. As for Lafleur, Lemaire probably knew his former linemate's deficiencies better than anyone. The Habs were quite successful in the '80s, and I think, overall, they were better off without Lafleur.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Where is Marc Savards's legal action against Matt Cooke?

Matt Cooke punched Marc Savard in the back of the head and drove his head into the ice?

Canucks homer checks out.

Bertuzzi was a piece of shit.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Linesman's a good one to start with.

 

[Normand Lacombe]

Linesman's a good one to start with.

What has Linseman done since retiring?

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

What has Linseman done since retiring?

Retained his personality.

 

[Michael Farkas]

You can put me down for one of each on Glenn Healy and Nick Kypreos...

 

[streitz]

Well add me to the list of people who completely missed the point of this thread haha.

 

[VanIslander]

Jeremy Roenick became more annoying and downright embarrassing as a post-player 'media personality'.

Mike Milbury, in contrast, went from shoe-thumpin' player to awful GM to actually entertaining media personality.

The tale of two dummies.

 

[NyQuil]

Peter Forsberg is into conspiracy theories when it comes to international hockey.

For what he put up with on the ice, he whines a lot off it.

 

[Spirit of 67]

Tie Domi.

Perhaps my least favourite hockey player ever. So much so that I hate his kid too.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Glenn Healy - I was neither here nor there with Healy as a goalie, but as an analyst/colour commentator he has the personality of a damp washclosh. He's a bore. Doesn't have a voice for hockey, still has that nerdy personality that doesn't translate into TV very well and especially hockey, and is smug without being entertaining.

You can put me down for one of each on Glenn Healy and Nick Kypreos...

one of the worst things about watching hockey is having to see healy and kypreos sitting big in their chairs acting like they actually did something in 1994.

 

[Troubadour]

Ray Ferraro, Derian Hatcher, Kovalchuk. Daigle could be counted in as well. And... Ew, Roy.

Lindros seemed arrogant at first, but I grew to appreciate him later on. I also didn't really like Jagr until his first full year with the Rangers.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

I don't tend to care for those guys who end up going on TV because they tend to be blowhards. I also don't really like those guys who go on to be suits in the league because they tend to be opportunists.

There's nothing that's going to make you lose your character more quickly than speaking for a corporate entity and acting as its representative. For most people that's just life and what you gotta do to get ahead, have a decent life with material security, but if a dude who earned 20+ million dollars over his career does it..I feel like it reflects badly. Shanahan is someone who comes to mind.

 

[Big Phil]

I don't tend to care for those guys who end up going on TV because they tend to be blowhards. I also don't really like those guys who go on to be suits in the league because they tend to be opportunists.

There's nothing that's going to make you lose your character more quickly than speaking for a corporate entity and acting as its representative. For most people that's just life and what you gotta do to get ahead, have a decent life with material security, but if a dude who earned 20+ million dollars over his career does it..I feel like it reflects badly. Shanahan is someone who comes to mind.

Or guys that comment on the game that are in higher positions who played the game pretty rough themselves. Nothing wrong with that, but just like with Lindros, it just gives another reason to dislike the guy talking about our game like that and wanting to turn it into ballet. Hockey has a big enough image problem in the States and he just wants to turn it into pond hockey? Colin Campbell is another guy too that bugged me back in the day. He dropped the gloves in his career a few times and then when he becomes Bettman's right hand man he has the unpopular theory that fighting should be banned. Give me a break Colin.

 

[Big Phil]

How about players that take a GMs role after their playing days? Phil Esposito was once an NHLPA rep when he was playing and once he saw things on the other side realized just how much damage overpaying a player could be. Was he right? Patrick Roy right after his retirement also famously talked about goaltending equipment needing to be shrunk.