'Is that your podcast you're listening to?' McDavid, Draisaitl exit interview interruptions derail proceedings

Yahoo

4 hours ago

The Hall of Fame Room at Rogers Place can feel like a bit of a media fishbowl at times.
Especially during the playoffs, when the glass on one side faces into the street in front of the iconic Wayne Gretzky Statue. Needless to say, it can be a bit of a high-traffic area with plenty of distractions for players brought in for question-and-answer periods.
If it's not boisterous crowds gathering and chanting after a big win while trying to catch a glimpse of their favourite player doing interviews, it's firetrucks and ambulances racing down 104 Ave. with sirens blaring.
But regardless of the chaos going on outside, about the biggest faux-pas a reporter can do is have their cellphone go off in the scrum, which draws immediate scrutiny from the rest of the media throng, as well as the player who was just interrupted by the ringing or reminder alarm.
The running joke is whoever's phone went off would have to pay a fine, a la the NHL's Department of Player Safety.
As was the case during Thursday's exit interviews, when Oilers captain Connor McDavid had to pause mid-answer as someone began playing back audio accidentally.
'Is that your podcast you're listening to?' he quickly quipped, before resuming his train of thought.
Media aren't always the offending party, however.
Before McDavid got in front of the microphone, his teammate, Leon Draisaitl, was up on stage during an unintended interruption of his own.
'Oh, God,' he said while moving to silence his own phone's alarm, cutting himself off mid-explanation of how the Oilers might have had the oldest roster in the league this season, but their core group is still in its prime.
'Got up early. Sorry, guys. I'll pay you guys after. Now where were we …?'
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