Known for her roasting skills, comedian Nikki Glaser didn’t hold back at the ESPY Awards on Thursday night. And the Edmonton Oilers got caught in the crossfire.
Tasked with introducing the “Best Male Athlete” nominees at the ESPN event — which celebrates Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly — the 40-year-old made sure to get her jabs in, dropping one-liners about MLB star Shohei Ohtani, golfer Scottie Scheffler, NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes (who took home the award), and Oilers captain Connor McDavid.
She first took a shot at Edmonton’s inability to complete their comeback against Florida in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
“Nothing will stand in the way of these incredible athletes and their pursuit of greatness… except the Florida Panthers,” said Glaser, opening the Oilers portion of her monologue.
Glaser turned her attention to McDavid, who was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy despite losing the series.
“Boy, Connor, that must have hurt; to lose a game of ice hockey to a place that doesn’t even have ice,” she added.
The camera then cut to McDavid’s Oilers teammate Evander Kane, whose smile was nowhere to be found as he watched from the audience.
Nikki Glaser takes a shot at the Edmonton Oilers.
Evander Kane was not impressed. 😅
(🎥: @espn) pic.twitter.com/rVE2Ava9TA
— BarDown (@BarDown) July 12, 2024
And before moving on, Glaser had one more McDavid zinger to unleash.
“For now, the only Stanley Cup Connor will get to hold is the one his wife asked him to grab out of the cabinet,” she said.
Luckily for McDavid, who was not in attendance, the event presented more than just some hurt feelings as he earned the award for Best NHL Player.
Stick taps for No. 97!
Congratulations to @EdmontonOilers captain Connor McDavid on earning Best @NHL Player at last night’s @ESPYS! #EPSYS pic.twitter.com/5kX9Jqwj1X
— NHLPA (@NHLPA) July 12, 2024
Unlike some of the jokes, the award was well-deserved as the 27-year-old finished his season with a ridiculous 132 points over 82 games, adding 42 more in the playoffs.