Oilers fans haven’t had a lot to cheer about in the last few seasons. So when star rookie Connor McDavid was knocked out of a game against the Flyers in November, they weren’t too pleased.
Who took the brunt of their frustration? That was Flyers defenseman Brandon Manning.
Manning was the one who collided with McDavid before he hit the boards and broke his collarbone.
“There was stuff on Twitter and everything, all kinds of threats,” Manning said, per Philly.com.
“Canadian fans are passionate, and I don’t think it would be any different with Flyers fans if they saw that one of our guys went down like that. So it wasn’t a big deal to me.”
On Thursday, the Flyers and Oilers will face-off for the first time since the incident between McDavid and Manning occurred on Nov. 3.
When looking back on the play, Manning believes he was knocked over because the Oilers rookie lost an edge.
“He just went outside on me. I pivoted to take him wide, and [Michael Del Zotto] came across to try to hit him,” added Manning. “Anybody who watches the replay can see [McDavid] clearly catches an edge before anybody even touches him. He actually brought me down with him. I fell because he fell.”
Manning, who was a healthy scratch in Philadelphia’s last game, hopes to suit against the Oilers tonight.