Most Detested Player in Wild History?
by BReynolds on Apr 30, 2011 9:42 AM CDT
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A few of the media moguls here in the Twin Cities were involved in a brief conversation about who Minnesota Wild fans hate the most. Brandon Mileski (@MilieskiKFAN) suggested that the most reviled player in history is Todd Bertuzzi. A great choice by any measure.
After that, Wild PR guru Ryan Stanzel (@rstanzel) mentioned that second place has to be Mathias Ohlund, oh he of the Koivu leg breaking adventure. Of course, Russo (@RussoStrib) jumped in with Martin Skoula, a clear favorite for the award for the truly bitter. Love that pick, Russo, absolutely love it. Mike Greenlay (@pulledgoalie) added Matt Cooke and Brad May to the discussion. I submit Trevor Gillies, as the most recent example.
Finally, Wild radio's Kevin Falness (@PONDcast) mentioned that the hatred for Ohlund may be waning a bit, that since he left the Canucks, people don't remember him.
In reading the discussion, I was intrigued to see who Wild fans actually hate the most. Is it Ohlund for breaking Koivu's leg? Is it Todd Bertuzzi for... well, for being Todd Bertuzzi? Is it the bitterly funny Skoula? Someone else?
Turns out, Hockey Wilderness is aimed directly at Wild fans, so let's decide it. Vote below, and make your case in the comments. If we missed someone, let us know. If you can't remember why you should hate these guys, make the jump.
Mathias Ohlund
(formerly of the Vancouver Canucks) - No words are necessary:
Koivu's leg was, of course, broken, and he missed a couple months. Ohlund? Suspended two games.
Todd Bertuzzi
(formerly of the Vancouver Canucks) - Bertuzzi never did anything despicable on the ice to the Wild. The real hatred came when he told Wild fans waiting in line to buy tickets to game six of the series in 2003 that they were "wasting their time." He meant that the series was 3-1 going back to Vancouver, and there was no way the Wild would be back in town for game six.
We know how that went for him, right?
Later, Bertuzzi would go on to commit attempted murder on the ice vs the Colorado Avalanche. He is cemented in my mind as an easily despised man, to be certain.
Rick Rypien
(Currently with the Vancouver Canucks- anyone notice a pattern?):
Martin Skoula
(former Minnesota Wild):
Enough said.
Trevor Gillies
Brad May
(formerly of the Anaheim Ducks):
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Chris Simon. The epitome of the cluelessness of the previous regime. At a time when we needed an impact move we got Simon. While I dont hate him directly, he’s the name I think of when I lost what little faith I had left in the management that year.
I second Chris Simon. Dirt ball of a player. When HWSRN acquired Simon, it was the first time I ever felt shame for being a Minnesota Wild fan.
Add that on to the fact that James Sheppard and a pick to Phoenix for Olli Jokinen was the deal turned down, it made Simon seem even worse (if that’s possible). That was the deadline deal for a team that won the Northwest Division? What a joke…
by JDesthubert on Apr 30, 2011 11:22 AM CDT up reply actions
Fuck all of these guys
JS, Champion of the first ever Hockey Wilderness Playoff Bracket Challenge! WHOOOOOOOO!
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by JSLandry on Apr 30, 2011 1:19 PM CDT reply actions 2 recs
ohlund
was suspended 4 games, not that it’s much of a difference, should’ve been at least 10
Ron Gardenhire is overrated
Was it four? Dammit…
Editor:Hockey Wilderness Assistant Editor:SBN Minnesota Now with more Twitterness: ReynoldsSBN
Rule #17: You may not impersonate representatives of Hockey Wilderness and handout NHL themed wrist bands.
It is just me?
Or does Bertuzzi look like Jason Lee in that picture?
That’s what Jason Lee has to say about that.
Being from Minnesota, it would be rude to put something clever here.
Burrows get my vote, the little bastard.
He scores short handed in game two while I’m typing this, go figure.
"ooooh babe, when I pick up the phone, there's still nobody home"- Floyd
by mckay10 on Apr 30, 2011 9:16 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
For me its Cooke
Based solely on the fact of transgressions against the Wild, Cooke wins in a land slide. Also based on the fact that he really has no interest in playing hockey, just hurting people. I suppose you could also throw Jarko Ruttu into the mix. I have hated Cooke since the beginning of our franchise when Cooke used to run away from Matt Johnson like the little yellow bellied coward that he is and then spear Johnson when he poked out of his turtle shell.
2010-2011 Minnesota Wild Fantasy League Champion
by Chris Winner on May 2, 2011 8:37 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Bertuzzi because we have to see him so much...
But I’d take a flier on Sean Avery too, especially if we played the Rangers more often
When we get the Pig, the Jug and the Axe, we'll have one hell of a picnic
How is Bertuzzi in this discussion?
What has he done other than open his mouth and score points against the Wild. He didn’t Steve Moore anyone on the wild. He didn’t play hide and seek when someone asked him to pay the piper ( ie Matt Cooke, Jarko Ruttu)
Don’t get me wrong. Bertuzzi is a Dbag for what he Did to Steven Moore, and running his mouth during the 03 playoffs, but other than that, what has he done?
Cooke, Burrows, Ruttu, May, Ohlund have all done things warranting of being the most detested player to play against the wild and be a nuisance to the wild.
Um...
Because Bertuzzi is easily one of the most disliked players by Wild fans. You see, disliking a player doesn’t always only have to do with that player being dirty and a waste of ice time. Sometimes a dislike is born out of actual rivalry and bad blood on the ice. For Wild fans, that playoff series was epic, an early defining moment of the franchise. Bertuzzi provided a rallying cry for the fans and in part the team. Back then, the game was so suited for a Bertuzzi type, and he was at the top of his game… and almost no one outside of Vancouver liked the guy. He was a guy you hoped your team beat. Then he gave fodder to the fans and the franchise. He ended up on the other side of a big playoff comeback and upset. Wild fans just loved to dislike the guy. That is how rivalries and ‘bad blood’ should come about. The fact that he then went out and tried to kill another player, well that just elevated everyone’s dislike of the guy.
by Krotz the Wall on May 2, 2011 11:15 AM CDT up reply actions
Ask the 99 people that voted for him...
Bertuzzi is hated for his gum flapping as much as anything he did on the ice. As Krotz said, sometimes, it doesn’t have to be a dirty play to make you hate someone. Bertuzzi told fans they were wasting their time buying tickets because the game wasn’t coming back to MN. He spoke directly to the fans, face to face and said that.
Off ice, away from the game, he talked trash directly to the fans. That, right there, is good for at least 90 votes.
Editor:Hockey Wilderness Assistant Editor:SBN Minnesota Now with more Twitterness: ReynoldsSBN
Rule #17: You may not impersonate representatives of Hockey Wilderness and handout NHL themed wrist bands.
Eh,
A guy can flap his lips all day long, b/c in the end, all it is, is talk.
I think its flawed logic to hate a guy for talking trash. I personally have a bigger beef with players who are cheap.
But it is what it is. Hate people for being talkers.
I don't think the beef is with Bertuzzi talking trash
as it is with Bertuzzi talking trash to fans. Like you said, he can flap his lips all day long, as long at it’s directed towards other players. He really has no right disrespecting fans in any way. Regardless of what team he plays for, he does need to have a level of respect for the fans, as the paying customers are the ones who allow him to collect a game check.
Also, he decided to make it personal with the Wild fans at Xcel. For example, if I were to say that everything you enjoy in life is worthless and appreciating it makes you stupid, you would have a problem with me (I don’t actually feel that way, but we’re just creating an example). When Bertuzzi disrespected the fans and their team, it opened him up for a level of disgust reserved for only the most hated.
Plus, it is a divisional rivalry. Personally, and I feel like a couple of people here would agree with me, I detest ever single Vancouver Canuck. Doesn’t matter who they are. They disgust me.
What about Gaborik?
I know he wouldn’t be the MOST hated in the Wild history, but I know his constant crotch injuries bugged the Wild fanbase. And the fact that he wouldn’t resign with the Wild for the same amount of money NY offered him.
Owner of The Haves & Havlats in the Hockey Wilderness Fantasy League
Champion of the Hockey Wilderness Fantasy League
Actually I believe the Wild offered him more money than what he signed with the Rangers for
2010-2011 Minnesota Wild Fantasy League Champion
Barely, but yes. More money. And the Wild offer was before his contract expired. No offers were ever made by Chuck Fletcher.
Editor:Hockey Wilderness Assistant Editor:SBN Minnesota Now with more Twitterness: ReynoldsSBN
Rule #17: You may not impersonate representatives of Hockey Wilderness and handout NHL themed wrist bands.
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