Awkward NHL Awards interviews (pt. 2): Benn, Subban, Ovechkin, Letang, Ekblad, Doughty, Bergeron
LAS VEGAS – In Part 1 of our series, we learned man-child Johnny Gaudreau has not gambled despite being 21, Peter Laviolette wants to be a jockey for a Kentucky Derby winner, and I’m no match for Colin Hanks and his eloquent crushing of my Ducks fandom.
We also learned Carey Price thinks Jamie Benn would wear Axe Body Spray. Now Mr. Benn gets to answer said charges.
Also making appearances are: P.K. Subban, Alex Ovechkin, Kris Letang, Aaron Ekblad, Drew Doughty, and Patrice Bergeron.
Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars
PD: Jamie Benn! I am not asking tough hockey questions tonight. First, are you wearing any cologne?
JB: I’m not wearing any cologne.
PD: Nothing at all?
JB: No.
PD: I’m getting a lot of those answers. I’m trying to think back, let me look at my list…I think it was Carey Price who said he thinks you wear Axe Body Spray.
JB: Did he? I might… [grins]
PD: You won’t admit that to me?
JB: I’m not going to say it.
PD: Then I can’t break news!
JB: [Laughing] I’m not going to say it!
PD: You totally do…that look you’re giving me.
JB: DO I? [Still laughing]
PD: DO YOU?
JB: Or do I not? You’re not sure.
[We’re both cracking up and people are looking at us weird.]
PD: You’re surprisingly hilarious. So, who dressed you tonight? Or did you dress yourself?
JB: No, no. John Varvatos.
PD: OH, you’re one of those lucky guys. You know why I think they started doing that? It’s because you guys show up the year before looking kind of schlubby…
JB: Uh huh…
PD: And they’re like, we need to get these guys to dress better.
JB: That’s probably it. They took are of me and it feels good.
PD: How’s the hip? No cane, I see. I was expecting a wizard’s staff.
JB: No, no. I was thinking about coming with a couple crutches, but…
PD: Or maybe a full body cast? Then they would’ve just given you the awards. So, Texas heat versus [Vegas] heat. Which is, I’ll go with, ‘better’?
JB: I’m going to say this is better.
PD: You don’t like the humidity?
JB: It’s pretty dry here.
PD: Does your hair go insane in the humidity?
JB: It’s good. I’m used it. The hair is all good.
PD: Ok, my one serious question.
JB: Ok.
PD: Please center yourself for this.
[Benn does a deep breath and centering hand motion.]
PD: If you could win any award, outside of hockey, it can be a championship or an award like the Heisman, what would it be and why?
JB: Umm…
PD: Think of your sports.
JB: Maybe a baseball…World Series would be good?
PD: Sure!
JB: I’d like to win the World Series?
PD: You seem uncertain, but that sounds good.
JB: Yeah, how ‘bout that.
PD: [Sarcastically] You look like a homerun hitter.
JB: I’m working on it.
PD: Alright, thanks! Take care. Get better, bud!
JB: Thanks.
P.K. Subban, Montreal Canadiens
PD: How are you?
PS: I’m well. How are you?
PD: Are you hot? That thing looks lot [motions to his velvet looking blazer].
PS: I’m good. It’s really cool.
PD: Really?
PS: Yeah. Are you hot?
PD: [trying to sound as creepy as possible] Of course. Aren’t I always?
PS: [Did not laugh. Completely monotone. Being a polite Canadian boy.] Of course you are.
PD: Anyway, I’m asking tonight: did you dress yourself tonight? You’re always a snappy dresser.
PS: Well, my tailor dressed me, so… I literally put my clothes on myself. He didn’t help me do that.
PD: Now that I appreciate because at your age, you should be able to dress yourself by now.
PS: I picked out the outfit a few months ago. Sartorialto in Montreal have dressed me my whole entire career in the NHL, from the suit standpoint.
PD: You’ve done well in that department.
PS: They’re great. So every year we try to take it to another level.
PD: So, I’m asking every player two questions. One, are you wearing cologne?
PS: Yeah.
PD: What are you wearing?
PS: Terre d’Hermes.
PD: Oooh, fancy. I’m trying to see if I can get anyone to admit they wear Axe Body Spray.
PS: No. I don’t.
PD: NOT YOU! I know you don’t. Do you think anybody else will?
PS: I don’t think so.
PD: Do you know of anyone on your team that does?
PS: Not that I know of. Oh, well, maybe Brendan Gallagher would.
PD: Gallagher? I was thinking Brandon Prust or Alex Galchenyuk would.
PS: Prusty won’t. Prusty won’t. Gallagher might. [Note: Reading body language, pretty sure he’s over the interview by now.]
PD: Final question. If you could win one other award in sports, any other sport besides the NHL, what would you want to win? It can be a championship, an individual award…
PS: FIFA World Cup Trophy for sure. In my opinion, that’s probably the biggest trophy in the world just because the world is involved so it’s pretty good, right?
PD: Maybe that’s a second career for you?
PS: Maybe.
PD: Thanks. Take it easy.
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
PD: Really easy questions tonight. Did you dress yourself or did you have some help? [Waves hand over towards his stunningly beautiful girlfriend.]
AO: Well, my girlfriend helped me.
PD: Did she pick out the outfit for you?
AO: I have a couple suits and she picked the one.
PD: [To girlfriend] You did good.
AO: She is my designer. [Kind of laughs.]
[Note: I knew I had to wrap this up quick, other reporters were muscling me to get to Ovie.]
PD: The last question I have is: if you could win one trophy in any sport, aside from hockey, what would you want to win?
AO: Gold medal.
PD: Olympics?
AO: Olympics.
PD: Can’t be in hockey, so in bobsled or something?
AO: Yeah, something like that.
PD: Just any gold medal?
AO: Yeah.
PD: We’ll see if we can arrange that.
AO: Sounds good.
PD: Thank you.
Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins
PD: I’m asking totally irreverent questions tonight. First, who dressed you because you look lovely?
KL: Uh, thank you. It’s Daphnee Hanrahan. She’s my personal stylist and she makes my own suits.
PD: Ohh, okay. I like this [waves hand around jacket fabric.] Whatever that is.
KL: It’s kind of a midnight blue with the black. She made everything for me.
PD: That’s good.
KL: She’s amazing.
PD: Are you wearing any cologne tonight?
KL: Yeah, I am.
PD: What are you wearing?
KL: Armani. Black…Black Code, right?
PD: Sure…?
KL: [Looks over to gorgeous wife, says something entirely in French. It’s completely lost on me. (I took only two years of Spanish in high school.)]
Mrs. Letang: Black Code.
KL: Yeah, Armani Black Code. She knows better than me.
PD: That’s what everybody is doing. They’re looking at their significant others like ‘what do I wear?’ Do you think I’ll get anyone to admit to wearing Axe Body Spray. [He looks at me quizzically.] Do you know what that is?
KL: Yeah, I know. I don’t know.
PD: How about your teammates? Want to say that Sid wears it?
KL: I don’t know about that.
PD: Who would you suspect?
KL: I know Craig Adams would wear something called ‘Brute’ or something like that. [Smiles as I crack up.]
PD: Okay!
KL: That’s the only thing I know.
PD: Other than that, no Axe Body Spray?
KL: No, no.
PD: My semi-serious question is: if you could win any award, in any sport other than hockey, what would you want to win?
KL: Any awards?
PD: Yes, any award. It could be a championship. It could be the Heisman. It could be anything. For example, Ovie said just a regular old gold medal.
KL: Yeah, a gold medal, playing for your country, or I don’t know. I really don’t know.
PD: Do you like tennis? How about winning Wimbledon?
KL: Nope.
PD: I’m striking out here.
KL: I would say, I think, a Formula One driver.
PD: Ooh, that’s good.
KL: Yeah, I’ve thought that would’ve been my other career if I wouldn’t have…
PD: REALLY? THAT would have been your career?
KL: Yes, I would have liked to have pursued that.
PD: Wow. That’s really cool. Thank you very much, Kris. I wish you good health this season.
KL: Thank you.
Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthers
PD: Remind me again, how old are you?
AE: I’m 19-years-old.
PD: You look like you could be 21. Have you tried to gamble at all?
AE: For the cameras, no. [Laughs]
PD: That’s good. Gotta’ put on a hat when you try it.
AE: Exactly. That’s the key to it.
PD: Now were you one of the guys dressed by John Varvatos?
AE: Yes I was.
PD: Did you need his help to begin with?
AE: Um, well, I wouldn’t say I needed his help, but definitely unbelievable clothing. I did a photoshoot after the fact and bought all three of the looks that they put me in.
PD: Nice. Looks good. I like it.
AE: It’s a tuxedo. My first tuxedo.
PD: EVER?
AE: Ever. I didn’t have a tuxedo.
PD: I’m guessing you didn’t go to prom…?
AE: I did, but we didn’t wear tuxedos.
PD: Really? That shows how old I am, maybe.
AE: [Courtesy laugh]
PD: I am asking this question: are you wearing cologne?
AE: Yes I am.
PD: What are you wearing?
AE: Chanel Blue. Or Chanel Bleu (says it with French accent).
PD: Do you think anyone here would admit to wearing Axe Body Spray?
AE: I don’t think anybody would. I’m not sure.
PD: Nobody has. Carey Price said Jamie Benn would, and Jamie said was like ‘absolutely not’. [Note: Apparently I have short-term memory problems.]
AE: I think not too many of the guys would be willing to say that.
PD: How about your teammates? Do you want to spill on anyone right now?
AE: I’d say Nick Bjukstad would probably wear it.
PD: He looks like an Axe guy?
AE: Definitely an Axe guy.
PD: Last question: if you could with an award in any sport other than hockey, and this includes championships and medals, what would it be?
AE: In any other sport than hockey?
PD: Any other sport. Peter Laviolette said he’d want to win the Kentucky Derby as a jockey.
AE: I’ll take a Nobel Prize.
PD: [stunned for a few seconds trying to process] I…like that!
AE: I feel like no one would really do that, would they?
PD: No, but that’s like the best answer I’ve gotten all night.
AE: If you think about it, it’s a really important thing.
PD: Yeah it is. It looks really good on a resume. Well, thank you so much and good luck tonight.
AE: Thanks!
Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings
PD: I’m asking non-hockey questions tonight. You were one of the guys dressed by John Varvatos, right?
DD: Yep.
PD: Is that because you needed help dressing?
DD: No. I don’t think so. [Laughs] Nah. I’m pretty well dressed, I think.
PD: Really?
DD: They obviously have good quality things, and I was happy to…
PD: [Cuts him off] … take a free suit?
DD: Yeah! Why not, right? Anything that’s free is better than nothing.
[Another reporter interrupts us and asks about players that get dressed in the dark.]
PD: [Once Drew answers, I quickly take back control of MY interview] Are you wearing cologne tonight?
DD: Nope. No cologne.
PD: No cologne, eh?
DD: My cologne smashed earlier today. I dropped it on the floor.
PD: Did you go for a back up? Say, Axe Body Spray? You look like an Axe kind of guy.
DD: No, I’m not. It’s Old Spice in my armpits and the cologne varies.
PD: Is there any one on your team that you KNOW wears Axe Body Spray and you’d like to give me the exclusive on?
DD: Yeah, actually, I think Trevor Lewis wears Axe Body Spray. He’s my roommate. I’ve found it in his room before.
PD: Ahhhhh…
DD: He tries to deny it, but I’ve smelled it in the hallway before. It’s definitely Trevor Lewis.
PD: Got it. Thanks, Drew.
Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins
PD: I’m tired of writing about hockey, so none of those questions. First, who dressed you?
PB: John Varvatos.
PD: Ah, you’re one of those guys. Then I will ask you this, as I am asking all the Varvatos guys: did you need the help in dressing up and that’s why Varvatos intervened?
PB: Yeah!
PD: REALLY?
PB: I was looking for something different.
PD: Looks good. I noticed you’ve gone with a lot of different texture-y things [waves hand around blazer].
PB: Yeah, yeah.
PD: Now are you wearing cologne?
PB: Huh? [Gives a very confused look]
PD: Are you wearing cologne? This is a hard question, I know.
PB: I am actually.
PD: Do you know what you’re wearing?
PB: It’s Bulgari.
PD: I’m trying to get someone to admit to wearing Axe Body Spray. Do you know what that is?
PB: I do know. [He is beyond confused at this interview by this point.]
PD: Do you know if any of your teammates wear it? How about Dougie Hamilton? He looks like an Axe kind of guy?
PB: I don’t think he uses it.
PD: So he’s deodorant only?
PB: I don’t think he even wears that. [Laughs]
PD: Ok, one serious question. If you could win any award or championship outside of hockey, what would you want to win?
PB: Uhh…[long pause]. World Cup of soccer.
PD: Funny, that’s what PK said, too. Two hated rivals. I’d like to see you two on the soccer pitch, though.
PB: I’m not a very good soccer player.
PD: He’s probably not either, so it’d be fun to watch.
PB: It would be fun. Both of us Canadians. I’m sure our skills are not that great.
PD: Oh yeah. I bet the Americans would appreciate that.
PB: Say what?
PD: The Americans would appreciate it if you guys weren’t very good.
PB: Oh. Yeah.
PD: Thank you very much. Have a good night.
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Jen Neale is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter!
