Johansen: Kesler made a 'fool of himself' during Twitter beef
Highlight Nov. 12 in your calendar if you enjoy rivalries in the NHL.
That's when the Nashville Predators and Anaheim Ducks - and Ryan Johansen and Ryan Kesler - square off for the first time since the two players exchanged jabs on Twitter earlier this summer.
It all began with this tweet from Kesler:
@RyanJohansen19 How's summer training going? Want to meet me in the streets before we get going on the ice?
- Ryan Kesler (@Ryan_Kesler) August 5, 2018
Johansen didn't directly reply to that message, but tweeted this a few hours later:
I'll pay for your parking
- Ryan Johansen (@RyanJohansen19) August 6, 2018
Johansen was asked about the beef in an interview with The Athletic's Adam Vingan on Monday.
"I don't know what he was doing that day," Johansen said. "Clearly I don't think he was thinking right because he made a little bit of a fool of himself."
The rivalry dates back to the 2017 Western Conference Final, during which Kesler hit Johansen with an elbow in Game 2.
#NHLDucks' Ryan Kesler delivers a vicious elbow to the head of Ryan Johansen. These two have been going at it all game. #Preds #NSHvsANA pic.twitter.com/65ZaGk7STM
- Grady Sas (@GradySas) May 15, 2017
Johansen discussed the play with the media after the game.
"He just blows my mind. I don't know what's going through his head out there. His family and friends watching him play, I don't know how you can cheer for a guy like that," he said, according to 102.5 The Game. "It just doesn't make sense how he plays the game. I'm just trying to go out there and play hockey and it sucks when you have to pull a stick out of your groin every shift."
In their first meeting the next season, the two centers dropped the gloves. Kesler "won" and then proceeded to mock Johansen's turtling on his way to the box.
Kesler vs Johansen ' pic.twitter.com/fYM1szcnEK
- N aiaiai (@DucksNPucks) March 9, 2018
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