In professional sports, including the NHL, fans and analysts hang on every word. If a player or a general manager says something that wasn’t expected, the internet runs with it. Actions tend to mean even more than words do. If a player does something that few saw coming… it must be a sign that something is up.
These past couple of weeks, there’s been plenty of that going around. Stories have taken on a life of their own simply because one narrative got created out of thin air.
But should we take everything we see and hear seriously? Probably not. Here are a few quotes and stories this week that fans shouldn’t read too much into.
Outside of the consistent rumors that already existed, Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner didn’t expect to wake up in the middle of a trade scandal, but that’s precisely what happened after a simple postgame hug with Calvin Pickard sent social media spiraling.
After the Oilers’ win over Seattle — where Pickard gave up a goal with 4.5 seconds left — Skinner pulled him in for an eight-second embrace, trying to lift up a teammate who was probably frustrated despite the win. Pickard has struggled with his numbers this season, and in that game, his save percentage dipped below .900. Considering these two hug after most games, to see this one last a little longer shouldn’t have surprised anyone. Instead, fans decided it looked like a farewell.
Calvin Pickard got an extra-long hug from Stuart Skinner. Somehow that meant he was being traded…
Speculation exploded: Was Pickard done in Edmonton? Was Tristan Jarry on his way? Did Skinner know something no one else did?
According to Skinner, none of it was true. Speaking Tuesday, he said he wasn’t even aware of the chatter. The hug was simply support — and the second one was a joke about the internet overreacting. “We just love each other,” he said. As for the Jarry rumors, they’ve since fizzled after the initial report proved inaccurate.
As for the extra-long hug, “It was just something funny that we wanted to do.”
