Former NHLer Destroys Ryan Smyth In A Recent Interview
PUBLICATION
James Connelly
August 20, 2023 (9:58)
Former NHLer, Shane O'Brien, did not hold back on his thoughts on Oilers legend Ryan Smyth.
O'Brien and Smyth's Career
Both Ryan Smyth and Shane O'Brien were successful NHLers during their tenure in the league. While Smyth played over double the career games that O'Brien played, both had lengthy NHL careers.
Smyth is an Oilers legend who played almost his entire tenure in the NHL with the Alberta franchise but he also pitched in time with the Islanders, Avalanche, and Kings before returning to Edmonton for the final two seasons of his career.
O'Brien on the other hand was more of a journeyman who never spent more than three seasons with one team. Playing for the Ducks, Lightning, Canucks, Predators, Avalanche, Flames, and Panthers, O'Brien was all over the map.
In a recent interview, O'Brien explained why he hated Ryan Smyth.
O'Brien's Hatred For Smyth
On the Missin Curfew podcast, O'Brien went into why he despised Ryan Smyth:
"I'll tell you why I hate Ryan Smyth," began O'Brien. "First of all because he thought he was Wayne Gretzky, which he was nowhere even in the same f***ing breath. I don't care if he wore the long gloves and tucked his shirt in or what the f*** ever."
This was not even the worst part as the second part seemed to grind O'Brien's gears more.
"But the reason I hated him is when I signed with Colorado I heard a story about him in preseason," began O'Brien. "He just signed a huge ticket with the Colorado Avalanche, exhibition game, there was a puck in front of the net... this kid shot it. Some young kid that was just playing an exhibition game that I don't think ever played in the NHL. In an exhibition game and Ryan Smyth went to the ref 'It hit my pants' and took the kid's goal in an exhibition game, and this guy was in the league for 10 years by then or maybe more."
Taking a goal away from a player who is just trying to make the league is quite sad. Even if it did go off Smyth, he should have just let the rookie get the goal. Smyth did register 386 regular-season goals in his career so he did not have a problem finding the back of the net.
At the end of the day, O'Brien has stained Smyth's reputation a bit with these stories but that does not remove the fact that Smyth is still an Oilers legend.
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