Sportsnet's Jennifer Botterill Gets Involved in a Heated Altercation With Kevin Bieksa and Fans Have Had it

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Sam Walker
November 4, 2024 (2:09 PM)

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Jennifer Botterill, Longtime Hockey Night in Canada Host and Longtime NHL defensemen Kevin Bieksa get into a heated argument LIVE on Air During Saturday's broadcast

A broad discussion has now sparked following a heated debate between Jennifer Botterill, a longtime broadcaster, and longtime NHL defensemen Kevin Bieksa. Botterill was already in hot water following an incident involving Detroit Red Wings veteran, and former Blackhawk Patrick Kane, just one week ago, after she delivers disrespectful take on Detroit Red Wings Patrick Kane

What all started the controversy was a play that has been making waves around the hockey world, a collision between Pittsburgh Penguins forward Noel Acciari and Montreal Canadiens young forward Juraj Slafkovsky.

Both players were battling hard to retrieve a loose puck when Acciari decided that he had other plans, and took out Slafkovsky, causing what appeared to be an injury.

Aciari may not have received a suspension for his hit, but Canadiens enforcer Arber Xkekaj gave him a stern warning in a wrong manner when he lined Acirari up in the dying seconds of the game.

Sportsnet broadcaster Kevin Bieksa gave a strong opinion on Arber's decision:

"The game is over... I think right there is the right time for Xhekaj to go at a guy who took out your star player earlier in the game. That for me is the right time to go at a guy. It's an eye for an eye. I don't think he's too apologetic about that, I wouldn't care. I wouldn't care if it's clean or not, you get my guy I'm getting you back at some point."

Botterill fired back at Bieksa, which sparked the heated debate.

"Then you get players with potential suspensions or fines and you guys are just fine. Guess what the game is changing and there is other solutions. Maybe it's changing, maybe it can change. It has changed, it doesn't always have to be an eye for an eye.

Another former NHL enforcer (aside from Bieksa), Luke Gazdic, a fellow co-host to Botterill and Bieksa, gave his stance:

"I just think people sometimes take the emotion out of it and they forget how much adrenaline and emotion is in the players at that time in a game. You see your first overall pick, your little brother, your kid that you love on the hockey team... you see an older player on the other team extend his elbow to his jaw and he goes off and he's now in concussion protocol... that pisses me off. I want to take action from there and maybe it shouldn't be a knee but I understand the frustration there."

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