“I back my teammate 100%”: Elliotte Friedman defends Luke Gazdic after his viral rant on Canucks fans

Sportsnet analyst Luke Gazdic lit up a storm thanks to his comments made recently about Vancouver Canucks’ fans.

The former Edmonton Oilers player turned analyst had some unsavory comments following the Oilers’ victory over the Canucks. After his social media post lauding the Oilers on reaching the Stanley Cup final was supposedly targetted by Canucks fans, Gazdic took aim at Canucks Twitter on the "Oilersnation Everyday" podcast:

“I’m going through Instagram message requests and the amount of hate… It’s the most garbage gibberish trash I’ve ever seen. Canucks Twitter, you are an absolute joke. Your team’s a joke. You’re a bunch of losers."

While Luke Gazdic's viral rant attracted a lot of criticism, insider Elliotte Friedman has come out in his defense. Appearing on the Donnie and Dhali Show, he said this of his fellow "Hockey Night in Canada" analyst:

"I back my teammate 100%. I understand why he said what he said. I think he will be better off for it. He will learn to filter it out."

The words of support echo the criticism that public figures like Luke Gazdic face following controversial comments. Nevertheless, Friedman stood by his teammate. He said:

"You know, the one thing I’d say is he doesn’t hate the Canucks. Like I worked with him during that Oilers-Canucks series. There’s not a guy sitting there saying, ‘I hope the Canucks lose.’ He played for the Oilers, he has a connection to some of those guys, but he’s not rooting for the failure of the Canucks."

Friedman concluded:

"I just think he’s a guy going through this for the first time. And, he’s learning that there are people out there that are embarrassing, weak, people who hide behind anonymity. And they do things that they wouldn’t dare do to you face-to-face."

Don Taylor questions Luke Gazdic’s alleged bias toward the Edmonton Oilers

Don Taylor of the Donnie and Dhali Show questioned Luke Gazdic’s credibility as an NHL analyst. Taylor had this to say on a recent edition of the show:

"And I just don’t know if I can take him seriously anymore on a national level, knowing the way he feels. There’s a bias there towards the Edmonton Oilers."

Based on his NHL experience, Taylor has called Gazdic’s integrity into question. Specifically, Gazdic’s reactions on social media have prompted Taylor, among other commentators and fans, to question Gazdic’s role on a national level.

It remains to be seen if this situation will prompt Gazdic’s removal from his role as an NHL. In the meantime, the social media battle rages on.