Breaking: Grant Fuhr comes to the defense of Montoya amidst media controversy

You tell em, Grant.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
Breaking: Grant Fuhr comes to the defense of Montoya amidst media controversy
Keystone Press

A recent comment by TSN reporter Ryan Rishaug had social media in a frenzy, as he blasted Edmonton Oilers goaltender Al Montoya for opting out of his media duties on game days. He's the only player on the team to do so.

This tweet sparked a lot of angst from readers, as the tweet suggested that Rishaug was targeting Montoya's mental health, a day after Bell Let's Talk day.

Oilers legend Grant Fuhr fought back in the best way possible, putting Rishaug in his place.


A reporter should not be making such statements, especially about things they don't know about. Everyone has their own way of preparing for games, and goalies like Carey Price also refuse to speak on game days. It's part of their mental preparation. A couple minutes in front of the camera shouldn't be an obligation if it impedes a player's ability to perform optimally.

As we alluded to in a previous piece on the same matter, words need to be chosen carefully. While Rishaug apologized and said that his comments were not targeted at his mental health, they still came across that way, and it created a lot of backlash from his followers. 

As a reporter, he has a duty to be careful with his words, and make sure not to make anybody feel marginalized, something he failed to do with this tweet.

Source: Twitter