Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
The benches of the NHL are truly a magical place filled with cheers, disgruntled energy and passion, but also some lines and phrases that have stood the test of time. Here are some of the most memorable lines that NHL players have said on the bench over the years.
1. “Too many guys with the same f—ing name.”
Matt Duchene was talking about how Brandon Dubinsky and Pierre-Luc Dubois have similar last names, and Duchene used to get them mixed up on the ice. This was back in 2019, so hopefully, Duchene can tell apart his teammates on the Dallas Stars. (At 4:10 in the video below.)
2. “Tolvy, you broke the bench with that hit.”
After a big hit into the boards by his former Nashville Predators teammate Eeli Tolvanen, Colton Sissons was impressed by the hit from Tolvanen along with other Preds teammates on the bench at the time of the collision.
3. “Enjoy your five games, kid, you’ll be back in the minors before you f—ing know it.”
Boston Bruins enforcer Shawn Thornton chirped Zac Rinaldo when he was coming up with the Philadelphia Flyers. This was during a game at the start of the 2010-11 season. It was Rinaldo’s rookie year and Thornton was making sure he understood what it felt like playing with the big boys. Sure enough, Rinaldo ended up playing for the Bruins in the 2015-16 season – but by that time, Thornton had moved on to the Florida Panthers.
4. “I’ll just play center for a quick second.”
“That’s what I’m worried about, you playing center.”
Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks chatted on the bench during training camp about a plan for their next shift. Boeser suggested that he play center for a bit, and Pettersson cracked a joke about how that concerned him. (At 1:32 in the video below).
5. “Dude, these f—ing towels stink.”
Brian Dumoulin commented on the towels on the bench when he was playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2019 NHL stadium series. During this mic’d-up session, Dumoulin also said the towels smelled like a fart, and he blamed it on some thick Alfredo sauce that he’d eaten that day. The point is, stay away from the Penguins’ towels and Alfredo sauce too.
6. “Relax, you’re awful. You’re embarrassing.”
The Boston Bruins’ Brad Marchand, is always chirping. It’s unclear who he’s talking to in this particular instance, but then-Bruins coach Claude Julien thought Marchand was yelling at the referees – it’s something he would do as a menace.
7. “If you would want something for dinner right now, what would it be?”
Jonathon Martin, who was undrafted and currently plays in the ECHL, decided to ask Kevin Labanc what meal he’d go for during a San Jose Sharks practice. The two chatted about steak chunks and scalloped potatoes while waiting for their rotation on the ice. (At 2:00 in the video below).
8. “There’s gonna be a meme for sure.”
After his Detroit Red Wings teammates fell over on the bench when a puck was coming towards them back in February 2021, Bobby Ryan predicted verbally that the moment would turn into a meme. People still look back on it and make memes of the scattering Wings.
9. “Holy f—, you make me look like I got a small nose.”
Brad Marchand (again), said this to his opponent on the Penguins and even made a kissing face to the player to mock him some more. As mentioned earlier, Marchand loves to chirp – maybe that’s why his beak is so big.
Related: Six NHL Stars Who Could Be Traded During the 2024 Off-Season
Related: Penguins’ Sidney Crosby Reaches Two Significant Milestones in a Crucial Win
Related: Team Canada Names Bruins’ Don Sweeney GM for 4 Nations Face-Off
News Summary:
- Nine Memorable Lines Overheard on NHL Benches
- Check all news and articles from the latest NHL updates.