Insider Frank Seravalli issues an apology for his inappropriate comment about Johnny Gaudreau
NHL insider Frank Seravalli has just issued an apology following a comment he made about Johnny Gaudreau.
Earlier today, Seravalli published an article featuring his 32 "bold predictions" for the 2024-2025 NHL season.
He notably talks about Lane Hutson, predicting that the young defenseman will win nothing less than the Calder Trophy (the trophy awarded to the NHL's Rookie of the Year).
Seravalli believes the race for the Calder Trophy will come down to Lane Hutson and Matvei Michkov, with the Canadiens defenseman coming out on top.
Frank Seravalli Apologizes for Controversial Comment on Johnny Gaudreau
Among his other predictions, one was regarding the Columbus Blue Jackets.
He mentions that with "a little help from Johnny Gaudreau," who tragically passed away a few weeks ago, "the Columbus Blue Jackets will win the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery, providing a consolation prize in an otherwise brutal year for them."
While Seravalli's intentions may not have been ill, his comment sparked significant backlash on social media today, as shown in the following text.
Many criticized his serious lack of judgment, particularly the idea of framing a draft lottery win as a consolation prize for Johnny Gaudreau's passing.
In the last few minutes, Seravalli released an apology letter:
What I wrote and how my poor choice of words was received was not intended to create any hurt or anger. Especially as a member of the Philly hockey community, I've been absolutely gutted by John and Matty's passing - like so many around the hockey world. This tragedy is a difficult topic we're all grappling with and what I wrote was never intended to add to that. Simply put, I should not have tied the two together. I am sorry and I promise to be better.» - Frank Seravalli
Details to follow.
