Nikita Zadorov of the Vancouver Canucks just completed his ninth season in the NHL, and while he's always been a colourful character, he's really opened up over the past few seasons, saying whatever happens to be on his mind at the time. During an end-of-season meeting with members of the media in Vancouver, Zadorov decided he would take a shot at the Calgary Flames, a team he played with for more than two seasons.
Zadorov started his media availability by telling reporters he was only there because he didn't want to be fined, in his usual deadpan way, giving very little indication of whether he's joking or actually means it.
The conversation turned quickly to Zadarov's thoughts on playing in Vancouver after he requested, and was granted a trade by the Calgary Flames in November of 2023. Zadorov, who played for the Colorado Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks in the first part of his career, praised Canada for its love of the sport. In the process, he made sure to take a swipe at the Flames.
Zadorov did something similar to the Edmonton Oilers during Vancouver second round series against the team, saying he loved Edmonton's passion for hockey, and figured it stemmed from the fact there wasn't much else to do there. In his latest interview, he was asked whether he had possibly played well enough that he had actually priced himself out of a new deal with the Canucks. He told the reporter he needs to stop listening to his colleagues in Edmonton.
