'Why are you so pissy, Leon?': Oilers star, Hall of Fame reporter trade heated exchange
Oilers all-star forward Leon Draisaitl smirked, shrugged and traded insults with a journalist after practice Wednesday in an exchange that was shared far and wide.
The Oilers haven't won a game in a month, since Dec. 18 in Seattle.
The team has lost 12 of their last 14 games, and after answering questions from another reporter, Draisaitl clearly wasn't in the mood to take inquiries from Postmedia Journalist Jim Matheson.
"What do you think is the number one reason for the losses now? Is there one thing in your mind that you're thinking, "We gotta get better at that'?" Matheson asked.
"Yeah, we have to get better at everything," Draisaitl answered with a wave of his hand.
"Would you like to expand on that?" Matheson pressed.
"Nope. You can do that. You know everything," Draisaitl shot back.
"Why are you so pissy?" Matheson responded.
"I'm not, I'm just answering…" Draisaitl said before he was cut off.
"Yeah, you are. Whenever I ask you a question," Matheson said.
"I gave you an answer," Draisaitl responded.
Matheson asked if it was a "good thing" that he showed his frustration on the ice and Draisaitl responded with a sarcastic, "Yeah, it's a great thing, for sure."
The media person off-camera ended the questioning and Draisaitl smiled, then got up and walked away.
'USUALLY IT HAPPENS WHEN NO CAMERA IS ON'
Matheson, who was made a media honoree by the Hockey Hall of Fame (HHOF) in 2000, was then trending on Twitter along with Draisaitl, the Oilers and HHOF.
Ryan Rishaug, Edmonton's TSN bureau chief, pointed out that it's not the first time Draisaitl has been criticised for his conduct on the ice and when dealing with reporters.
"Draisaitl does have a history of delivering dismissive answers at times but he had been much much better this season. It's clear he's made an effort to engage more. That was until things came off the rails for the team, and I think it's fair to say frustration has crept back in to the picture," Rishaug tweeted.
The interaction also didn't surprise TSN 1260 host Jason Gregor, who said this sort of spat happens in hockey.
"Players, coaches and management have had disagreements with individual media members for decades. Usually it happens when no camera is on. The Matheson/Draisaitl was quite calm relatively...not even a swear word. People will disagree and argue at times," Gregor tweeted.
Back at the radio station, the vast majority of fans who texted and called sided with Draisaitl. Despite the Oilers' recent struggles, he leads the NHL with 54 points.
"Fans right now are mad at the media. They're mad at Jim Matheson. They defend their players," TSN 1260's Matthew Iwanyk said, adding only a few fans that reached out thought the player went too far.
Still, Iwanyk thought Matheson was asking fair questions and he believes fans deserve some real answers for the team's slide, including from its best players, Connor McDavid and Draisaitl.
"They're pulling their weight, largely. But the coach deserves criticism. Ken Holland deserves criticism, it's going up the chain all the way to ownership. All of them deserve the tough questions right now, or the criticism, because they're losing."
The Oilers are scheduled to host the Florida Panthers next, Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. MT.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.