It’s the shot you love to see of your favorite team the moment they win a title in the NHL: the captain takes it after snapping some photos with commissioner Gary Bettman, then joyously hoists it over his head before the lap around the ice.
That happened on Monday night as the Florida Panthers took down the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final … but ESPN’s production missed that first shot before you saw Aleksander Barkov begin the festivities.
NHL fans were NOT happy about it. Here’s the shot that television viewers saw followed by a few complaints:
The captain lifts the #StanleyCup! 🫡 pic.twitter.com/pnABgnuUC8
— NHL (@NHL) June 25, 2024
Hey @espn hire some proper sports directors. Where the F are the cameras going during this Stanley Cup celebration? Can’t even count how many times you’ve cut away at THE wrong time. I mean we missed the initial cup raise. Grand scheme, not important but just awful coverage.
— Paul Fletcher (@heypaulfletcher) June 25, 2024
ESPN cameraman missed Barkov’s first hoist! Great job!
— James Nichols (@JamesNicholsNHL) June 25, 2024
ESPN is so awful. The audio keeps cutting out, they missed Barkov skating away and lifting the Cup….
We need you back @NBCSports @NBCSportsHockey
— Jeff 🔴⚫️🔴 (@JMC9787) June 25, 2024
Amazing, utterly amazing … @ESPN missed Barkov's Cup raise. HOW THE HELL IS THAT POSSIBLE?!?
— Scotty Hockey (@ScottyHockey) June 25, 2024
Good job, ESPN. You missed the first hoist of the Cup.
— Postol (@RyanPostol) June 25, 2024
Yikes!
