Pat Sajak Gets Icy Reception as Stanley Cup Finals Starting Lineup Announcer

Sports

Sajak’s appearance baffles fans

Pat Sajak NHL Stanley Cup Finals
NBCS

“Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak got the cold shoulder from hockey fans when he announced the starting lineups for the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals Saturday night.

When hosting in their hometown arena, the Knights have kicked up the showmanship on the pregame festivities this season, with everything from sword fights to performances by Lil John and Imagine Dragons. With Game 3 at Capital One Arena in D.C., the Caps planned to have a little fun by having Sajak — who said he’s been a Caps season ticket holder for 13 years — announce the starting lineups, like ring announcer Michael Buffer did before Game 1.

But hockey enthusiasts were underwhelmed by the choice of Sajak.

“Nothing sys [sic] hockey like Pat Sajak said no one ever WTF?” tweeted one fan.

https://twitter.com/LokitheWolfman/status/1003071700970323969

Keith Olbermann didn’t hold back his opinion either, tweeting: “If anything better defines the historical vacuum that is the Caps, it’s that the ‘celebrity’ lineup announcer is @patsajak droning on pointlessly about his lifelong fandom – 13 years. Wow! 13 WHOLE YEARS? After 20 as a self-professed Kings fan? #IdLikeYouToBuyAPersonalityPat.”

And the criticism continued to roll in.

https://twitter.com/holly_holl/status/1003068699375472640

https://twitter.com/iancmclaren/status/1003068990837743616

https://twitter.com/MultiraceWagers/status/1003069408795877377

Rosemary Rossi

Rosemary joined TheWrap in 2016 after more than two decades covering entertainment for American Media and Bauer Publishing as West Coast Editor and as the Hollywood Correspondent for Australia’s Horowitz Graham Publishing. In addition, she reviewed films and television, sized up trends and penned a weekly tongue-in-cheek column called “Hollywood’s Worst Ideas This Week” for…

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