This quote by Joe Thornton, just may be the best of the year in all of sports.
According to a story via Sportnet, the San Jose Sharks forward, intervened when reporters were questioning his teammate Patrick Marleau about the now controversial four-goal display by rookie Tomas Hertl, on Tuesday night against the New York Rangers.
Some in the NHL have voiced their displeasure with Hertl’s showboating on his final goal after he put the puck threw his leg and into the roof of the net on a breakaway.
Thornton was obviously tired of all the criticism his 19-year-old teammate has garnered and proceeded to unleashed this gem that had the internet going nuts.
“Shut up, have you ever played the game?”
He then added:
“I’d have my c— out if I scored four goals. I’d have my c— out, stroking it.”
This is why the NHL struggles to attract the type of attention they really want, because hockey culture suppresses creativity and exuberant personalities.
Hertl did something exciting and he gets criticized for it, even though, goals like the one he scored on Tuesday night is exactly what people want to see.