After the first period ended between the Ottawa Senators and Dallas Stars on Friday, Senators defenseman Jakob Chychrun went viral when he went down the wrong tunnel at intermission.
“That’s one way to tell a GM what team you want to be traded to,” one Twitter user joked.
“What one period of DJ Smith hockey does to someone,” remarked another.
But there was a very good reason why Chychrun decide to take a walk with the Stars.
The Stars’ home arena, American Airlines Center, is one of the rinks in the NHL where visiting players need to skate off through a side exit rather than just depart from behind their bench. The rest of the Sentators jumped off the bench while Chychrun lumbered off with the enemy.
The 25-year-old blueliner was cut on the face late in the period and needed to get stitched up before returning to play. All of the arena’s medical facilities are on the home team locker room’s side.
“For those wondering…I was told to meet the Stars team doc at their room for some repairs,” Chychrun said on social media. “Thanks for the laughs this morning 🤣.”
Chychrun would return for Ottawa and skate over 25 minutes, recording three points — all assists — in the 5-4 loss. If he’s going to play that much and have that much success on the scoreboard, Chychrun might start going back with the opposition team at the end of every period home and away.
Screenshot: NHL
