Vegas’ Jack Eichel offers a perfect response to Golden Knights being voted the most-hated team in the NHL
The Vegas Golden Knights are still licking their wounds after losing the Stanley Cup in the franchise’s third trip to the Finals since the team’s debut in 2017.
That kind of success – and frankly some… other stuff – has led to the team gaining its fair share of haters among NHL fans.
But star forward Jack Eichel had a perfect response, and he was absolutely right.
Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel had a big reaction when he learned his team was named the league’s most hated team. (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)
In May, Rotowire conducted a survey of all 50 states to find the most hated NHL team in each. Vegas was the most hated team in 11 different states, more than any other club.
From where? As we’ve talked about before, they’ve had great success since entering the league, winning the Stanley Cup once, reaching the Finals three times, and only missing the playoffs once.
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But they are also known for being ruthless and somewhat controversial. They have no problem handling players and undermining coaches; in fact, they fired Bruce Cassidy just eight games before the start of the playoffs.
They subsequently refused to allow other teams, including their league rivals the Edmonton Oilers, to interview him.
However, Eichel, who was traded from Buffalo to Vegas in 2021, pointed out that the perception of the team is very different from that of the fans.
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“I will say this,” Eichel began when asked about the team that was called the most hated team in the league. “If you ask people around the league, Vegas is not on people’s no-trade lists.
“This is a place where people want to be and people want to play, and this is an organization that people want to be a part of, and I can tell you that all the players in the locker room are proud to represent the city and play for this organization, and there’s a lot of great things that come with that.”
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Jack Eichel lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Final this season, marking the club’s third appearance since his debut in 2017. (James Guillory-Imagn Images)
Man, he has a point.
Vegas has a talent for grabbing free agents, and it’s unclear whether Eichel was referring to former Team USA mate Dylan Larkin when talking about no-trade lists, but the Red Wings captain, who recently requested a trade, reportedly has the Golden Knights on his list of teams he’s willing to sign a trade for.
