Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl had no time for Vegas Golden Knights’ Alex Pietrangelo in the NHL playoff handshake line.
The Golden Knights eliminated the Oilers with a victory in Game 6 on Sunday night. Following the series-deciding game, the two teams lined up at center ice for the traditional handshake line. Draisaitl reluctantly shook Pietrangelo’s hand when the two players crossed paths in the line.
Draisaitl barely looked at Pietrangelo and quickly let go of his hand after shaking it. It’s clear the Oilers’ forward didn’t want to hear anything the Vegas blueliner had to say. Check out Draisaitl and Pietrangelo in the handshake line below:
Draisaitl had no time for Pietrangelo in the handshake line pic.twitter.com/TjB9dklajC
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) May 15, 2023
Draisaitl was understandably not happy with Pietrangelo following the conclusion of this intense series. The Vegas D-man had essentially tried to chop off Draisaitl’s arm with a vicious two-handed slash back in Game 4. Pietrangelo only received a one-game suspension for the chop, which was criticized for being too light.
Alex Pietrangelo gives Leon Draisaitl a two-handed slash after an empty net opportunity. pic.twitter.com/wziPdleLDx
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 11, 2023
We have to at least give Draisaitl credit for shaking Pietrangelo’s hand, as many hockey fans were calling for a more vicious revenge action. There were multiple times during Sunday’s game where Draisaitl actually faked slashing Pietrangelo in an attempt to intimidate the 33-year-old blueliner.
Draisaitl was a standout in the 2023 NHL Playoffs, notching 13 goals and five assists in 12 games. It’s very possible he suffered an injury as a result of Pietrangelo’s slash, as he managed zero points in the two games following the controversial incident.
There will be hockey fans who call Draisaitl classless for brushing off Pietrangelo in the handshake line. However, we can understand and acknowledge his frustration. Perhaps if the NHL had suspended Pietrangelo for two or three games, Draisaitl wouldn’t have been so dismissive after the series.