"Honest and direct" "He has a bad attitude": NHL fans divided on Filip Hronek's outburst during Vancouver Canucks' exit interview

During the Vancouver Canucks' end-of-season media availability on Thursday, Filip Hronek was asked by a reporter about his performance drop in the second half of the year. Persistent questions about whether he had been playing through an injury seemingly frustrated Hronek during the interview.

In response to the question, Hronek admitted he didn't know why his production declined, and that if he had known, he would have made changes.

When the reporter asked if he had been playing through an injury, Hronek responded curtly, saying no. The reporter tried to clarify they were just asking questions since they had given him space all year. Hronek, seemingly frustrated, reiterated that he wasn’t injured and questioned what the reporter expected him to say.

Watch the moment from the interview below:

The clip has since been making the rounds on the internet and fans were quick to react and give their thoughts. They expressed their opinions on Hronek's outburst during the interview in the comments, where some supported the player's honest response.

Here are some of the fan reactions on X/Twitter:

“I interpreted it as honest and direct.”

“JPat asks pointed questions but does tend to rub people the wrong way when he gets an answer he feels he needs to… question. In this case he’s asking a player why his play worsened when there was no injury. ‘If I knew why, I’d change something’ is an honest response. Move on,” wrote one user.

“Didn't, actually, find him pissy at all. It's like ‘Dude, I already told you I wasn't injured,’” commented another fan.

Meanwhile, some fans believed Hronek could have dealt with the question differently. Some even criticized the player’s attitude:

“Good try @patersonjeff. He has a bad attitude,” said one fan.

“He never answered questions all year, Murph got 1 interview a few months ago and it was brief. Guy wants $8mil a year but doesn’t want accountability and won’t do interviews,” wrote one user.

“The guy wants a 8 million dollar contract next season, I don’t think it’s to much to ask Filip to answer the odd question. This is the first time I have even heard him speak to the media all year. There is an expectation that players do talk to the media lol,” commented another fan.

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Filip Hronek hails Quinn Hughes as 'great player, great guy'

During the same interview, Filip Hronek reflected on his first season in Vancouver. He described the season as a "lot of fun" and expressed his pleasure playing in the city and with the team.

When asked about his upcoming contract negotiations and the role of playing with Quinn Hughes has in his decision, Hronek praised the captain, calling him a great player and person:

“I mean, it was awesome playing with Quinn,” Hronek said. “He's a great player and a great guy, so he made it like an adjustment for me to come here to Vancouver really easy, and it was awesome.”

(from 9:10 mark)

He mentioned that Hughes made the transition to Vancouver easy for him. When asked if playing with Hughes could be a significant factor in his contract decisions, he replied in the affirmative, but pointed out that he would be a restricted free agent, indicating there would be other factors in his consideration as well.

It remains to be seen if the player and club will renew their terms for next season.