NHL fans rip into Rangers broadcaster Steve Valiquette's "blatant disrespect" take on Jack Hughes' breakaway attempt

NHL fans on social media expressed their disappointment with Rangers broadcaster Steve Valiquette following his remarks about Jack Hughes' breakaway attempt against the Rangers on Monday.

Hughes opened the scoring for the Devils, slipping the puck five-hole past Igor Shesterkin just 1:27 into the first period to give his team the lead.

In the aftermath of Jack Hughes' goal, Valiquette critiqued the play, suggesting that Hughes was showing "blatant disrespect" by attempting a flashy move instead of playing with intensity. On the MSG Network, Valiquette said:

"No, he's had success against Igor playing him straight up, and I thought he slowed down. He wanted to put a fancy move on. It was more Instagram hockey than intense hockey. There wasn't much of a back check, so that allowed him to do it.

"But I'm looking at him going like this and doing what in practice a goalie would get mad at a teammate for doing, saying that would never happen in the game. When was the last time you saw somebody one-hand score, not in a shootout, but in a game? And I think that the Rangers should be upset about that," he added.

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NHL fans didn't appreciate Steve Valiquette's remarks about Jack Hughes and criticized him heavily on X (formerly Twitter). One tweeted:

"This guy continues to be the biggest clown out there."

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Another chimed in:

"Vally is an absolute idiot. Hate him."

Here are some of the other top reactions on X:

"Did Steve Valiquette even have a career. Give me a break. Trying to shit on Jack Hughes. Embarrassing!," one X user said.

"This has to be one of the single dumbest things I have ever heard a professional broadcaster say … How in the actual hell does that dude have a job?," another disgruntled fan posted.

"Somebody take the mic away from this idiot!," commented another fan.

"People who don’t understand what actual disrespect is, deserve the most disrespect…what a weak little sh*t take," another chimed in.

Jack Hughes shines as Devils blow out Rangers

Jack Hughes shone for the Devils n their 5-1 win over the Rangers at MSG on Monday night. Hughes scored twice, bringing his season total to 33 points, which includes 11 goals and 22 assists in 28 games.

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Meanwhile, for New York, it marked its sixth defeat in seven games. They currently sit fourth in the Metro Division with a record of 13-10-1. The Rangers will be up against the Pittsburgh Penguins next on Friday.

About the author

Abhishek is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of sports reporting experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi. He became a fan of ice hockey after watching NHL fight videos on YouTube, which led to him professionally writing about the sport and his continued interest in all things hockey.

A fan of the Boston Bruins, Abhishek considers their incredible comeback win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 playoffs as the most iconic moment in the NHL. His admiration for the six-time Stanley Cup winners also comes from the team’s storied history, distinctive black and gold uniform and their success in the sport. His all-time favorite NHL players are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, for their ability to perform at the highest level consistently.

Abhishek ensures his reporting is fair and balanced by being well-researched in his details, which he expects to be relevant, up-to-date and in line with ethical standards. His specialties are doing detailed match analysis and covering fan reactions.

Abhishek enjoys music, traveling and going on walks with his three German Shepherds in his free time, along with learning about horticulture.

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Edited by Bhargav