Greg Wyshynski, ESPND15. December 2023, 12:26 a.m. ET
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- Greg Wyshynski is ESPN's senior NHL writer.
After his own fans booed him in St. Louis on Thursday night, Blues star Jordan Kyrou apologized for his comments about former coach Craig Berube in an emotional postgame interview.
Kyrou, 25, was booed when his name was announced in the starting lineup for the Blues' game against the Ottawa Senators. There were also occasional boos during the game when he touched the puck.
“I definitely heard that,” Kyrou said. “Of course it’s not easy, but I see where they’re coming from. It's definitely tough. I love playing here. I love playing for these fans.”
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The Blues' 4-2 victory over the Senators was their first game since Berube was fired Tuesday night after six seasons after leading the franchise to its first Stanley Cup championship in 2019. St. Louis was 13-14-1 on the season under Berube.
When Kyrou was asked on Thursday about his relationship with Berube, he replied: “I have no comment on it. He's not my coach anymore.” Meanwhile, Kyrou praised interim coach Drew Bannister, calling it a “new beginning” for the team and a chance to “bring our culture back a little bit.”
Kyrou said he realized hours before the Blues' game against the Senators that his comments had gone viral.
“I’m sorry if it sounded bad at all,” he said. “I’m really trying to focus on the future here and focus on what I can do to help the guys win.”
Kyrou acknowledged that Berube helped round out his game and make him a more complete NHL player.
“I respect Chief, of course,” he said. “He was my coach the whole time. I respect everything he has done. He won a trophy, you know? “I'm just trying to focus on my future and what I can do to help my team win.” That’s all I really meant.”
As the post-game questions turned to the Blues fans, who booed the star striker, Kyrou's eyes lit up and he was overcome with emotion, pausing to compose himself during his answers.
“To be honest, it’s the hardest game I’ve ever played,” he said. “I love playing here. It’s hard to hear the fans booing me here.”
Kyrou had an assist and was a plus-3 in the win over Ottawa. He has been a disappointment for the Blues this season, with just 5 goals in 29 games, after scoring a career-high 37 goals in 79 games last season.
Bannister, who earned his first NHL coaching victory, expressed his support for Kyrou after the game.
“He’s an outstanding kid,” Bannister said. “He cares a lot about his teammates. He cares deeply about this organization and cares deeply about the fan base. He's disappointed in himself at the moment because of his game. He’s trying to find his way through what he does.”
“Jordan has to get through this. We can't hold Jordan's hand. Jordan has to pull himself together and find a way to get through this.”