Draisaitl’s agent says Gary Bettman is the one that’s “pissy”

Jan 19 2022, 7:14 pm

You can count Gary Bettman as the latest person dragged into the Jim Matheson-Leon Draisaitl “pissy” saga.

In a since-viral video from yesterday’s Edmonton Oilers press conference, the Edmonton Journal reporter Matheson and Oilers forward Draisaitl were engaged in a back-and-forth searching for answers on the team’s six-game losing streak.

Draisaitl currently sits second in the NHL with 54 points by way of 26 goals and 28 assists. He was asked, in a variety of ways, if he could identify what exactly was ailing the team.

Asked if he wanted to expand on his increasingly short answers, Draisaitl declined.

“No. You can do that. You know everything,” Draisaitl said to Matheson.

“Why are you so pissy, Leon?” Matheson eventually asked, setting off a day-long social media debate about the relationship between reporters and athletes.

Some backed Matheson, while others called him unprofessional and called for his credential to be revoked.

But Draisaitl’s agent, Allan Walsh, attempted to steer the attention of the “pissy” comment in another direction: towards the NHL commissioner Bettman.

Walsh pulled up a 2016 clip of Bettman dismissing TSN reporter Rick Westhead asking about the NHL’s concussion lawsuit with former players.

“We’re not having this discussion right now,” Bettman told Westhead. “We’ll talk about that at the right time and the right place.”

“You don’t think there’s more the league can or should do to protect players or provide them better medical coverage?” Westhead replied.

“This is, Rick, not the right time for this question. We’re in the middle of litigation, and you know that.”

Westhead followed up by asking Bettman why the league hadn’t responded to his requests via email, which Bettman walked away from.

This isn’t the first time Walsh has criticized Bettman openly.

Back in November, Walsh tweeted it was time to “fire Gary Bettman” and cited “several NHL owners” had reached out to him as unhappy with Bettman’s leadership.

Daily Hive reached out to Allan Walsh’s agency about the tweet, who “politely declined” to comment.

Adam LaskarisAdam Laskaris

+ Offside
+ Hockey
+ Oilers
ADVERTISEMENT