Edmonton Oilers forward Tobi Rieder said he accepted an apology from CEO Bob Nicholson.
“He apologized for what he was saying,” Rieder said after practice on Friday. “He apologized. I know he feels bad about it.”
At a season seat holder breakfast on Thursday, Nicholson said Rieder won’t be back with the team next season. He suggested the Oilers would be in a playoff spot if Rieder had scored 10-12 goals instead of having none.
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“You look at it and you kind of can’t believe it. I feel like it’s disappointing and I’m offended by it,” added Rieder.
“I’m the first one to admit I don’t have a good year. It has not been an easy season for me. It’s been hard, but I’m still going out there and giving 100 per cent every time I’m on the ice every game,” said Rieder.
“It was tough to read that somebody gets singled out like that and kind of thrown under the bus.”
Rieder said Nicholson called him Thursday afternoon to apologize. His teammates and coaches have shown support for Rieder.
“He’s a no-maintenance player,” said head coach Ken Hitchcock. “We don’t have to worry about whether he’s prepared or not or whether he’s going to do the right thing on the ice. He’s a very good penalty killer. He hasn’t scored like he normally does. It’s probably put a lot of pressure on him. He’s a good teammate.”
The Oilers host the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. Catch the action on 630 CHED with the Face-off Show at 12:30 p.m. The game starts at 2 p.m.
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