The NHL has been around for 106 years. In that time, the world’s premiere hockey association has seen many changes. Players evolved their styles, the game became faster, defenses became better and, of course, technology has improved exponentially. That includes the use of instant replay, better scoreboards and stat tracking technology, and the evolution of social media for players and teams to use in an effort to help build their brand.
Many players and teams have become very good at using social media to build their fan base or appeal to audiences. Some players rarely use it all, while others find themselves in a bit of trouble for how they used it. It’s safe to say that some of the players we’re going to talk about today would’ve eventually found themselves in hot water had social media been around during their playing days.
Here are 10 NHL players that never would have survived the social media era.
Jarkko Ruutu
To his credit, Ruutu did manage to survive the social media era towards the tail end of his career. However, everyone mellows with age and at his prime Ruutu was one of the most hated players in the league. Described as a pest by many of his former opponents, Ruutu was not against using any foul word in the book in order to get in the head of his opponents.
Ruutu once bit the hand of Andrew Peters during a fight. After the fact Ruutu then attempted to claim that Peters had stuck his thumb in his mouth and that’s why there were teeth marks, despite the incident being on recorded camera and instant replay. This fact alone shows us that Ruutu probably wouldn’t have contained himself on social media very well.
Ron Hextall
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These days, Hextall is known for being a general manager. Before that however, he was one of the greatest goalies in Flyers’ history. That wasn’t the only thing he was known for however. You could always bet on Hextall to get into a fight. He was loud mouthed, brash, and extremely short tempered. It didn’t take much to get on his bad side and when you did it was hard to get back on his good side. From 1984 to 1999 Hextall terrorized opposing teams by berating, attacking, and fouling.
Given his short temper and tendency to fly off the rails, it’s safe to say Ron probably couldn’t have been trusted with a Twitter account. He had no filter, no self control, and stopped at nothing to let everyone else know he was angry. If he’s not above flipping out on officials, fans, and players alike, then we know he’s not above saying some unsavory things on the internet.
Chris Simon
Simon has etched his place in the record books, though it’s maybe not a record you would look back and be proud of. Simon holds the second longest suspension in NHL history at 30 games. It was passed by Raffi Torres in 2015, but before that it was his second time holding the record for the longest. In 2007 he broke the record when he was suspended for 25 games. To put it simply, Simon couldn’t stay out of trouble. He was eventually banned from the league due to his behavior and outbursts.
Simon couldn’t keep his rage in control in person or on the ice and its safe to say he wouldn’t be able to online either. With a fuse shorter than a firecracker, Simon would probably see himself in Facebook jail as often as he saw himself in hockey jail. The NHL grew tired of his outbursts, so one could assume online fans probably would’ve tired of him quickly too.
Todd Bertuzzi
Long time Red Wing Bertuzzi will never be able to shake 2004, when he nearly cost Steve Moore his life. In an attempt to stand up for a teammate Bertuzzi would punch Moore in the back of the head, before throwing him to the ground. Moore would land precariously on his neck, causing a severe injury that could’ve taken Moore’s life. Moore’s playing career was ended, and Todd was charged for assault and sued.
This was the moment that defined Todd’s career. Fans ridiculed and spewed hate on him every season from that point on. If this incident had happened in the social media era, one could assume that Todd might not have made it through. The internet is a cruel and nasty place at times, and had this incident happened in 2023 as opposed to 2004, Todd would’ve faced no shortage of insults, threats, and bullying.
Dave Schultz
Schultz currently holds the record for the most penalty minutes in a single season with 472. One of the league’s best enforcers in an era where enforcers were plenty, Schultz was known for his big hits and even bigger fights. A two time Stanley Cup winner on the Broadstreet Bully Flyers, Schultz lived up to his moniker “The Hammer.” He even recorded a song called “The Penalty Box.”
What lands Schultz on this list is not popularity, as he was actually quite beloved, but his mindset. Schultz is on record saying he regrets the style of hockey he played and the injuries he caused to himself and others. His role as an enforcer was not one he wanted, but one he felt he couldn’t escape. If social media had been around, seeing the various posts about the injuries he’s caused,
how violent he was and that being why people loved him, might’ve been too much for his heart to bear.
Jeremy Roenick
Jeremy had quite the reputation back in the day. Known around the league as a loud mouth, Jeremy never shied away from instigation. He wouldn’t discriminate either, going after fans, players, coaches, and officials alike. To top it all off, Roenick was a good player. In 1,363 games, Roenick scored 513 goals and 703 assists. There was nothing more infuriating than a player that would score on you, then talk trash about it.
That’s exactly what Jeremy did. He never held anything back, letting everyone know exactly what he felt about them. Had he been given the power of social media back in his time, there’s no guarantee he would’ve kept it rated PG. It would only be a matter of time until Jeremy said the wrong thing, or went after the wrong person.
Bobby Clarke
The 70’s Flyers had a lot of issues. There wasn’t a single player on that team that didn’t want to rough somebody up. Clarke is renowned in Flyers’ history. He wore the “C”, brought them two Stanley Cups, won a multitude of awards, and was beloved by the fanbase for his ability to play and his willingness to throw down. You might find it hard to find a Flyers fan that doesn’t love Bobby Clarke.
Around the league however, Bobby was known as a bully. With a squad of enforcers at his side, Bobby wasn’t afraid of anyone or anything. He wasn’t above playing dirty or picking fights, and
certainly wasn’t above having his enforcers do the fighting for him (though he certainly wasn’t against fighting himself). Had social media been around in his era, it’s safe to say his bubble of love from the Flyers’ fan base would’ve popped pretty quickly as the hatred of other fans rained down on him. With no enforcers to back him up online, who knows how Bobby would’ve reacted.
Mike Milbury
Everyone knows about the infamous brawl at Madison Square Garden between the fans and the Boston Bruins back in 1979. It’s a legendary black eye in hockey history where after beating the Rangers by one goal, the Bruins climbed into the stands and fought a group of fans throwing barbs their way. Mike Milbury was the head of that group of Bruins and now he will forever be known as the man that took a fan’s shoe and beat him with it.
This moment in hockey history is already well documented, but one would have to search pretty hard to find it. Had it been in the social media era, it’s safe to say Milbury would never be able to escape his past and fans certainly wouldn’t forget his name. He would have to deal with that video on repeat for the rest of his life and I don’t think anyone would blame him if he deactivated his account.
Sean Avery
No one likes Sean Avery. A hot head, a brawler, a dirty player, and a trash talker, Avery was hated throughout his entire career by fans, teammates, and opposing players alike. Always quick to get a word in, Avery quickly earned his reputation as an instigator. The thing that really left a sour taste in fans’ mouths is Avery was not above getting personal, or getting filthy.
He infamously made a comment about another NHL player’s girlfriend, referring to her as his “sloppy seconds.” He went on record bashing players that talk trash but don’t back it up, only to infamously back out of multiple fights through his career. Then of course there was his rivalry with beloved goaltender Martin Brodeur where he repeatedly called the goalie “fatso.” Needless to say, Avery would not have kept his Twitter fingers to himself.
Patrick Roy
The angriest goalie in the world. Roy was a phenomenal netminder in his day, but he will most likely be remembered for his outbursts. Roy was quick to anger, and when he got angry he was very bad at reigning himself in. He would scream, throw things, attack people, and just throw full on temper tantrums. He would go after players, coaches, referees, and even fans. When he got mad, Roy could not control himself. He would simply scream and flail until eventually he calmed down.
Given how quick he was to be pissed off, it’s probably a good thing that Roy didn’t have access to social media. He probably would make multiple posts in the span of five minutes all filled with expletives and anything else that comes to his rage filled mind in the moment. Letting anger control your actions always ends up in regret, and we’re sure Roy would’ve had many more had he been in the social media era.
