Watching Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth take in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ season opener is enough to put a smile on your face. Which is good, because nothing that happened on the ice during Wednesday night’s 6-0 loss will.
“Mic up players from one sport watching a different sport” has become a social media trend in recent years. Last night, it was Harris and Freiermuth mic’d up to watch the Penguins take on the New York Rangers to open 2024. Bleacher Report shared a compilation of the two watching, Freiermuth a die-hard and Harris more of a novice.
It’s hard to blame either. Freiermuth grew up in the cold Boston climate with the Bruins’ rich tradition, one of the “original six” NHL teams. Harris grew up in sunny California where hockey can draw a crowd but not on the East Coast’s level.
Harris spent the video trying to understand the rules, learning that there’s offsides just like in football. That helped reverse one of the Rangers’ goals even if New York still poured things on at the end. Freiermuth was amped to watch, even encouraging the kids around him to smack talk the officials.
As the Rangers quickly built a three-goal lead, Harris admitted he and Freiermuth have some pretty bad luck. Things wouldn’t get better as New York doubled their score in a comfortable season-opening win.
To answer Harris’ questions of “how sharp are the blades” and “has anybody rushed a hockey field,” at least from a casual hockey fan like myself:
1. Yes, the blades are very sharp, required for skaters to make the precise movements on the ice. So sharp that some players wear neck guards to protect themselves. In 1989, Buffalo Sabres Clint Malarchuk’s main artery and jugular vein were cut by the skate of an opposing player. Malarchuk nearly bled out on the ice and was saved by a trainer and Vietnam combat medic Jim Pizzutell, who slowed the bleeding and got Malarchuk off the ice. Incredibly, he survived thanks to Pizzutell’s quick-thinking and 300 stitches and returned to continue his career.
More recently and tragically, former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Adam Johnson died last October in a similar incident while playing in a UK Hockey League. An investigation led to an arrest with the case seemingly still open.
2. First, it’s not a “field,” it’s a “rink.” But to answer the question, sorta. While I don’t believe fans have ever actually taken to the ice, players have taken to the stands. Like this brawl as Bruins players rushed the stands during a 1979 game that resulted in multiple suspensions.
Fortunately, nothing of the sort occurred last night. Only a couple of hard hits against the board.
Harris and Freiermuth will hope to bring Pittsburgh back to their winning ways Sunday afternoon against the Las Vegas Raiders.
