Jay Onrait over on TSN did a little Q & A with former King
Patrick O'Sullivan who didn't have such nice things to say. Well, being that I'm ME, I just felt a response was necessary.
NRAIT: What's been the most surprising thing playing for a Canadian team?
O'SULLIVAN: It's definitely different coming from L.A. where nobody cared and after the game we'd have two people in the room waiting to talk to us. I didn't know what to expect when I was traded and I didn't know how I was going to like it. But to me, I think it's great. You want to play somewhere where hockey is important. It's everything and more that I thought it would be. The games are sold out and it's a fun building to play in. Outside of the weather, it's a great city. In my opinion if you want to live somewhere warm, you can do it when you're done playing.
When a player is traded, especially a young player who is allegedly part of your “core”… there’s a REASON.
Maybe its drinking too much and closing out the bars in Manhattan Beach? Maybe it’s the charming personality that rubs off on the other players in the locker room?
Is it coincidence that when Patrick was traded to the Oilers on March 4th, they were in the playoffs (8th), and then they missed them?
I find it interesting that "Sully" would say “Nobody cared about hockey in L.A.” See, when you have the Lakers winning year after year after year after year and they’ve built and established a winning culture, the people and celebrities of Los Angeles care. They REALLY care. Did you even bother to familiarize yourself with some of the former Kings players? They did care when some guy that was traded from Edmonton came to play here. They cared a lot.
Keep in mind, Patrick, that when you have some of the worlds finest restaurants, some of the hottest women on the planet, the beach, the motion picture industry, diverse cultures, people tend to not want to talk HOCKEY all day. I mean, I can just imagine the all day hockey conversations you must have in Edmonton with bikini-clad Playboy centerfolds.
I also find it interesting that a really good hockey player like
Chris Pronger has no problems with Southern California but couldn’t wait to be jettisoned from Alberta. I guess it must have been all that “hockey talk”.
Come to think of it, what do you actually SAY to a loser in the locker room? “Well… you played well?” I mean, look at your NHL career. As a King you won 62 times and lost nearly twice as many times, 116. I can only imagine the cheerful reporters in the locker room following 2 losses for every one win. Your record in Edmonton isn't much better, Patrick (15-23) and pretty soon, they’ll also grow tired of your losing ways and will be calling for you to be traded.
Patrick, might I also suggest you have a look at lakings.com and check out all of the PRACTICE interviews these days? Check out the number of tape recorders stuck in the face of players. See, the Kings are WINNING, unlike when YOU were here and they were LOSING.
Now, you also say its nice to play to a sold out arena. Staples Center, which holds 18,118 fans, averaged 16,859 per game when you played here. Edmonton, where you currently play, averages 16,839 per game. Gee. I guess you weren’t really paying attention in math class.
One of the best things Dean Lombardi did was to get rid of you. In case you haven't noticed,
Justin Williams has played in just 14 games this season. He and his linemates have accounted for 57 points. Kings fans would agree that we traded a loser... for a winner. A winner with his name etched on the Stanley Cup.
I'm sure Edmonton is a wonderful city, Patrick. And while we're enjoying 75 degree weather today in L.A., enjoy the near freezing temperatures. And while you're enjoying talking puck battles with beer bellied Marvin from New City, I'll be over at Charlie Sheen's, hanging by the pool, listening to the ocean waves, drinking martini's, and oogling over the Malibu actress wanna-be's.
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