Chicago forward Jonathan Toews might still be a little bitter about the 2011 NHL playoffs. The Chicago Blackhawks were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round after seven games against the Vancouver Canucks. Chicago fell in a huge 0-3 hole, but mounted an impressive comeback to force a seventh game. Vancouver won Game 7 in OT, sending them through and sending Chicago home.
Prior to Chicago's 2013 Stanley Cup Finals against Boston, Toews was asked how he felt watching Boston hoist the Cup in 2011. His response?
#Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews on watching the #Bruins hoist the Cup in 2011: "Mostly, I was just glad Vancouver didn't win."
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) June 11, 2013
That's a pretty blunt answer, isn't it?
You can't really blame Toews for his response. It's doubtful any Blackhaws fans, let alone the players on the team, have forgotten that Game 7 loss. Game 7s are games that stick with you for eternity, for better or worse.
It's actually kind of refreshing hearing such a direct response. Usually an athlete will respond with praise for his opponent or how they respect their skill heading into the series. Here Toews avoids all of the clichés and gives an extremely honest response.