Leon Draisaitl clashes with Edmonton reporter Jim Matheson
(Photo Credit: @TimandFriends/ Twitter)

It’s getting ugly for the Edmonton Oilers both on and off the ice.

Oilers’ forward Leon Draisaitl traded jabs with a veteran Edmonton reporter on Tuesday. Oilers’ media asked Draisaitl questions following the team’s morning practice.

The Oilers have only managed two victories in their last 14 games as they’ve fallen out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Draisaitl leads the team with 26 goals and 54 points in 35 games.

The frustration of both Drasiatl and members of the Edmonton media was on display Tuesday. Draisaitl traded jabs with Edmonton Journal columnist Jim Matheson during the press conference.

The conversation revolved around the Oilers’ losing streak, as they’ve lost six straight games for the second time this season.

Here’s a transcript of the exchange:

Jim Matheson: Did you think the last two years you’ve been second in your division… and you showed a lot of maturity, but now you’ve lost six in a row twice. Did you think your team was past that? Not getting into these long losing streaks?

 

Leon Draisaitl: [shrugs] Sure..yeah.

 

Matheson: Lots of reasons for why the Oilers are playing the way they are in terms of winning and losing. What do you think is the #1 reason for the losses now? Is there one thing in your own mind you’re saying ‘we gotta get better at that’?

 

Draisaitl: Yeah, we have to get better at everything.

 

Matheson: Would you like to expand on that?

 

Draisaitl: Nope. You can do that. You know everything.

 

Matheson: Why are you so pissy, Leon?

 

Draisaitl: Huh?

 

Matheson: Why are you so pissy?

 

Draisaitl: I’m not. I’m just answering your…

 

Matheson: [interrupting] Yeah you are. Whenever I ask you a question.

 

Draisaitl: I gave you an answer.

 

Matheson: Not a very good one.

 

Draisaitl: [shrugs] Okay [smirking].

 

Matheson: I have one more for you. Leon you showed your frustration on the ice last game against Ottawa. Is that a good thing when you show it so the other team knows you’re frustrated?

 

Draisaitl: Yeah it’s a great thing… for sure.

A video of the exchange was uploaded to social media and has since gone viral, surpassing two million views on Twitter alone. You can view it below.

Video:

If you want to see the full Draisaitl press conference after Tuesday morning’s practice, you can view it on the Oilers official YouTube channel.

The Edmonton media quickly came to Matheson’s defense following the exchange. Sportsnet’s Mark Spector put out a tweet claiming Draisaitl was being immature and not acting like a leader.

This certainly isn’t the first time Draisaitl has gotten into it with the Edmonton media. The German superstar got feisty with a reporter during one of his cold streaks last season. Draisaitl has a way with sarcasm, one might say.

It’s never a good sign when the players start trading blows with the media. This appears to be a case of both sides being frustrated amidst a tough stretch of play for the team.

Matheson asking Draisaitl ‘Why are you so pissy?’ could’ve been phrased in a much more respectful and professional way. You can’t really blame Draisaitl for clapping back.

Draisaitl and the Oilers will look to turn the tables and get back into the win column when they face the red-hot Florida Panthers at Rogers Place on Thursday.