That was Phil Kessel this morning, sticking up for his captain, Dion Phaneuf, by way of tearing a strip off the Toronto media.
“I’m disappointed today,” Kessel said. “I think the way the media treats Dion Phaneuf in this city is embarrassing. I think a lot of people should be ashamed of themselves. I’m embarrassed for them. I don’t think anyone deserves to be treated like that.”
Kessel didn’t provide specifics, saying only the treatment of Phaneuf “in general” was unfair.
“He’s our best defenseman,” said Kessel,” and you guys act like he’s not trying out there, and this and that. ... Is it his fault we’re losing? No. Did he build this team? No. ... He’s owed some apologies by some people. It’s disgusting the way people treat him.”
Some (or a lot) of Kessel’s frustration may have been related to a disparaging tweet that mistakenly went to air yesterday on TSN.
The network apologized shortly thereafter, but not before Leafs forward Joffrey Lupul tweeted, “TSN just a poor mans TMZ. Embarrassing.”
Lupul tweeted again today:
Get familiar with #nocomment
— Joffrey Lupul (@JLupul) March 3, 2015
Related: Kessel mixes it up with reporter: ‘You think it’s my fault?’