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The best hockey bloopers of 2017 (PHT Year in Review)

Screen Shot 2017-12-23 at 7.35.11 AM

(Pro Hockey Talk is taking a look back at the year in hockey. We’ll be presenting you with the best goals, saves, moments, players and much more as we bring you the best of 2017.)

As a clumsy human, it feels awkward to spotlight the clumsiest moments of very-much-not-clumsy professional athletes. It’s the “glass houses” adage amped up by the fact that your walls are shattered.

Then again, maybe that’s the beauty of the blooper when it comes to professional sports or other high levels of activity. (People love blooper reels during movie credits, and often with good reason.)

For that split second, a star athlete or at least a handsomely paid athlete feels a version of the embarrassment and irritation you feel when you mess up your favorite shirt thanks to especially runny queso. These athletes aren’t “like us” - I’d wager none of them feel the same angst as clothes get tighter, if not inoperable, during the holidays - yet it’s enjoyable to see them humanized, nonetheless.

Speaking of bloopers, there’s a 100 percent chance I’ve missed a few, possibly some big step-on-the-rake moments. So feel free to share your own favorites in the comments, via email, or on Twitter.
OWNED BY OWN-GOALS

We must begin with the king of the own-goals, at least in the sense of drawing a lot of attention. Kris Russell’s slapper costs the Oilers one, if not two standings points that could end up being precious, and even Nazem Kadri couldn’t believe it:

Speaking of defensemen who sometimes generate debates between traditional types and analytic-leaning observers, Dan Girardi’s suffered some tough moments, with this recent flub:

Then-Dallas Stars forward Jiri Hudler tried to send a drop pass to his teammates. Instead, he sent it back into his own empty net in February.

Apparently you can win too much, at least when it comes to Nick Bjugstad sending a faceoff win into his own empty net in October.

CENTER-ICE BIFFS

P.K. Subban can really wire the puck when he wants to, but this center-ice goal from December is rough for Anders Nilsson, who’s had a rocky season for Vancouver overall:

It already must be exhilarating to score a goal from the middle of the rink. Imagine how great if felt for Dougie Hamilton to do so in March, with the huge bonus of it happening against his former team, as the Bruins decided to trade him:

Brian Elliott allowed this center-ice goal on the first shot he faced during a February game:

ASSORTED FUN

The falling bear is what 2017 really needed (sorry, falling bear). OK, technically this actually surfaced at the very end of 2016, but are you really going to complain?

(Oh, it’s the Internet and everyone complains here? Uh oh.)

Michael Del Zotto’s misadventures being nice to an adorable Canucks fan, a two-act play from October:

During his Puck Daddy days, PHT’s Sean Leahy captured the story of an arena accidentally retiring a player’s jersey to the rafters ... upside-down.

As is often the case with bloopers, the best part might have been the Twitter fallout.

If you ever had a tough day at the office ...

Wes McCauley is weird.

***

Many mistakes were made in 2017, and again, some might have been made in the form of omissions in this post. So feel free to share some of your own favorites from the last 12 months.

Enjoy more sports strangeness below, too.


James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.