I love hockey, but as with any sport that you watch that you really enjoy there are going to be teams and players that you just can't stand. Some of those teams and players you'll have logical reasons for, such as the player's attitude or the team being a major rival of your team. Some of those teams and players it isn't logic though and is just a gut dislike of. I certainly have teams and players that fit into both categories. Here is a far from inclusive list of some of those players and teams for me in the NHL. I think you'll notice a bit of a trend...
Detroit - The long time rival of the Avalanche it is just normal for myself as an Avalanche fan to hate the Red Wings. While I admit they have some good players and I respect some of their players they certainly have some that I can't stand and as a whole I hate to see them have any sort of success. I don't really care for their self proclaimed title of "Hockeytown" either and the fans need a dose of losing seasons to do their egos some good as well. This hatred really boils down to a rivalry that hasn't been what it used to be for many years now.
Vancouver - This is a rivalry that has grown as Vancouver has gotten better and overtaken the Avalanche as the yearly winner of the division. Add to that fact the "holier than though" Canadian attitude towards hockey being "their" sport, with Vancouver fans as a whole being a group that is worthy of being one of the most hated in hockey and things don't get better. Then throw in the events of March 8, 2004 and it cemented my hatred for all things "Nucks". The players, the coach, the organization ... they all earned my hate that day.
Todd Bertuzzi/Brad May - Speaking of March 8th, these two above all others deserve my hatred. Bertuzzi specifically with his classless beyond hockey crap in stalking Steve Moore, punching him from behind, and eventually breaking his neck and ending his career ... he deserved worse than he got in terms of suspensions (a year, sure, but there was no hockey that year so it shouldn't have counted). Argue if you will that it was the dog pile that led to the break, but Bertuzzi's actions are what caused all of that making him responsible. What a joke... (The incident for those that don't know of it... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpKa2ARS8tU&feature=related) I'm against the law being a part of sports gone a bit too far, but what Bertuzzi did was criminal and I hope Moore gets all he can in his civil case...
Sean Avery - This guy has a bit of skill, however he runs his mouth, pulls stupid stunts on the ice, and generally is just a pain in the ass. Some "pests" are guys that you hate to play against but love on your team. Avery isn't a pest and I wouldn't want him on my team.
Franzen/Holmstrom - I just can't stand these two. This might fall more into the "irrational hatred" category, but I really don't like them. They have skill and have given the Avs fits at times, which makes it even more frustrating, but the nickname of the "mule" given to Franzen I think fits both of them as they are as ugly as mules and are asses.
the Sedin twins - Since they came into the league I just haven't liked them, even before the Nucks were really good. I can't explain it but I just don't like them. Perhaps they don't belong in my "hated" list, but more the "annoyed by" list...
Ryan Kesler - This one pains me a bit because he has talent, no doubt, and he's an American boy who is great for Team USA, but I just don't like him. I think he runs his mouth, complains, and exaggerates on ice to draw calls ... and then he is physical and overly so in many cases. A couple of examples just from recent weeks. In a game against Nashville he was skating full speed towards the Predator net and made no attempt to avoid the goalie instead running over him, potentially injuring a goalie in such a move. He got his 2 minutes, but an act like that is gutless, dangerous, and stupid. I would have given him 5 for it minimum. Then in a recent Sharks game he took a slash on the wrist but to exaggerate and try to get a call he goes to his knees. What the hell? A slash on the wrist causes you to fall to your knee while skating through center ice? Come on. However he's also one of those guys who I might like on my team so part of this could be a Nucks thing.
Alex Burrows - He's another Nuck that I don't much care for. He hits but it isn't clean much of the time as he leaps about a lot, and he's also good for the occasional questionable shot. Add to it that perhaps he whines as much as anyone and complains about the officiating and claims that the officials are out to get him and he's just a guy I can't stand.
Dion Phaneuf - I really didn't like this guy in Calgary and got tired of hearing how great he was. He's good, but he and the "greatness" talked just really rubbed me raw and I can't stand him now.
Roberto Luongo - He's good, no doubt, but how good? I'm tired of hearing about how he's the greatest goalie in the game. He's not in my opinion. I'm also tired of hearing about how he won the gold for Canada. He didn't. He gave up plenty of rebounds and was shaky, obviously so, in that gold medal game. Canada did a good job keeping the US players from those rebounds however and they weren't able to capitalize. He won with the team, yes, but he wasn't the reason. Then in Vancouver when every time he stops a puck, no matter how routine, the fans yell out "Luuuuuuuuuuuuu" ... it's damn annoying. "Oh look, he stopped a dump in from center ice... LUUUUUU!" Give it a break...
Mike Ribeiro - He makes his way onto this list for one act above any other. In a game as a Hab against the Bruins he collides with another player and looking at him on the ice you would have sworn he just broke every bone in his body. A few moments later he gets up and skates off and even has a smile on his face for the Bruins. The biggest joke I've seen faking an injury that bad on the ice. Horrible, classless, and moronic...
So there is a definite trend there. My hate centers mostly around two teams, the two teams I can't stand. Sure there are a couple others on that list but for the most part this makes sense. Those others have done something worthy of negative attention. Perhaps the reason there aren't more players from other teams on here (and believe me there are others on other teams like this and that annoy me to some degree - see Matt Cooke for example, or Ray Emery's bigger than the team ego from a few years back) is that I don't see them as often or don't have the overall hatred for their teams that I do for the players on the Wings and Nucks.
Of course there are definitely players on other teams that I really like as well. Expect a post about a few of those to follow this one not long down the road...
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