The NHL's biggest villain remains a free agent late in the off-season
Photo credit: The Hockey News
The 2024 off-season has been a wild one for the NHL, and even after all the movement, a reigning Stanley Cup Champion remains without a team.
For years now, hockey has been phasing out the incredible physicality that separates it from other sports, and with it, the phasing out of players that were once known as enforcers. Unfortunately, that has led to some players behaving terribly on the ice, with no better example than Nick Cousins, who has become the NHL's most hated player in recent years.
So much so that in recent times, he was called out by Sportsnet analyst and former NHLer Kevin Bieksa.
"What people don't wanna watch and see is kneeing, hitting a guys head into the boards, ramming a guy from behind and that is a common theme for [Nick Cousins]," said Bieksa back in January. "I have never done this before but I have to do it, because this is a trend with this player."
"There's no place in the game for this and what is the common theme in all of these? Him at the bottom of the pile in a turtle position," said Bieksa with disgust. "This has been a common theme with this player... somebody in that organization or somebody that he respects has to sit down and say 'Enough of this' or the NHL has to come down and hammer this guy."
"Somebody has to hammer this guy from the department of justice and put an end to these crappy hits because I hate em and that's a rat to me," said Bieksa. "I'm sorry it is."
"There's no place in the game for this and what is the common theme in all of these? Him at the bottom of the pile in a turtle position," said Bieksa with disgust. "This has been a common theme with this player... somebody in that organization or somebody that he respects has to sit down and say 'Enough of this' or the NHL has to come down and hammer this guy."
"Somebody has to hammer this guy from the department of justice and put an end to these crappy hits because I hate em and that's a rat to me," said Bieksa. "I'm sorry it is."
Now, with August quickly approaching and training camp almost upon us, he remains a free agent, and given his lack of production on the score sheet, it's no surprise. It's unclear whether or not a team is willing to take a shot on the 31-year old veteran, but as of this point he is yet to have significant discussions with another team, and it may mean he goes into the start of the 2024/25 campaign without a deal.
Source: MarkerZone
The NHL's most hated player still yet to join a new team
The NHL's most hated player still yet to join a new team
| POLL | ||
28 JUILLET | 86 ANSWERS The NHL's biggest villain remains a free agent late in the off-season Will Nick Cousins be signed before training camp begins? | ||
| Yes | 35 | 40.7 % |
| No | 51 | 59.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
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