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Hockey fans react to brutal Toronto Maple Leafs burn at NHL awards (VIDEO)

Al Sciola
Al Sciola
|
Jun 22 2022, 2:22 pm
Hockey fans react to brutal Toronto Maple Leafs burn at NHL awards (VIDEO)
NHL

Tuesday’s NHL Awards were a big night for Auston Matthews.

The Toronto Maple Leafs superstar was named the recipient of the Hart Trophy, awarded to the player most valuable to his team. He also won the Ted Lindsay Award, given to the most outstanding player as voted by the players.

Despite the heavy hardware, things turned bittersweet for the 24-year-old as the evening came to a close. At the very end of the broadcast comedian Kenan Thompson, who hosted the show, dropped a subtle but brutal diss to the Leafs and their fans.

“Congrats to Auston Matthews,” said the SNL cast member. “It’s nice to see the Leafs winning something in June.”

The ceremony ended abruptly after the comment and no player reactions were filmed. But, social media — as it often does — went into a frenzy in reaction to Thompson’s comments.

(Hey, at least nobody got slapped à la Will Smith…)

Thompson, who starred in D2: The Mighty Ducks as a child, hosted the awards show back in 2019. Who knows if he’ll be asked back now.

To be fair, the joke was not inaccurate as the Leafs have not advanced to the second round of the playoffs since 2004 and currently hold the NHL record for the longest Stanley Cup drought in league history (55 years).
As a result, reactions among hockey fans were mixed. Some thought the joke was in good taste but others had nothing but disdain for the Emmy-Award winning comedian.
Here were some notable Twitter reactions:

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