After Broadcaster Mocks Him, NHL Player Has Classy Response

When a TV broadcaster mocked an NHL's player's weight, the player fired back on Twitter—but maybe not in the way you'd expect. Pat Maroon of the Tampa Bay Lightning donated to a mental health charity in the broadcaster's name and encouraged others to do the same, which they did, reports FOX 13. It all began Tuesday night, when longtime Boston Bruins broadcaster Jack Edwards joked about Maroon's weight. He's "listed at 238 pounds," said Edwards, per ESPN. "That was Day 1 of training camp. I've got a feeling he's had a few more pizzas between then and now. ... Fasting. Inadvertent fasting for Pat Maroon is like four hours without a meal." (Listen to it here.)

On Wednesday, the 34-year-old Maroon tweeted his response, announcing that he was donating $2,000 "in support of those struggling with mental health, bullying and body image" in the name of Edwards via the 65-year-old's Twitter handle, @realjackedwards. The money went to the team's Lightning Foundation. Fans and teammates quickly joined in, and the charity announced it would match the players' donations. It also tweeted that "words matter, and the words we choose to use can impact the mental well-being of others." Edwards himself hadn't publicly responded to the incident as of Thursday morning.

At the end of his needling of the player on Tuesday night, Edwards added, "Hey, three Cups in a row, who can argue with his formula?" It's a reference to a rare feat accomplished by Maroon in the modern hockey era. He won a Stanley Cup in three consecutive seasons starting in 2019, the first with the St. Louis Blues and the other two with Tampa. A post at thehockeywriters.com calls out Edwards' comments as "distasteful" and says they "crossed a line." (More NHL stories.)