Horvat says he didn’t mean to be critical of Canucks fans with comments

New York Islanders forward Bo Horvat made a point on Monday of clarifying his comments from Saturday night after many Vancouver Canucks supporters interpreted them as a shot at his old team and its fanbase.

After recording a pair of assists to help the Islanders shut out the Philadelphia Flyers 4-0 Saturday night, Horvat was asked about the excitement in the building and support from the home crowd at UBS Arena.

“It’s been unbelievable,” Horvat said in an interview from the bench played over the arena’s speakers. “It’s a lot better than Vancouver. I can tell you that for free.”

“It was kind of a heat of the moment thing” says Bo Horvat on his comments from Saturday night. #Canucks @Sportsnet650 https://t.co/MVaSiKT5bH

— Brendan Batchelor (@BatchHockey) April 10, 2023

On Monday, Horvat said he meant no disrespect to Canucks fans when he was asked if he was surprised his comments went viral.

“I wasn’t obviously expecting that,” Horvat said. “It was kind of a heat of the moment thing. I didn’t mean any disrespect to the fans of Vancouver or my teammates or the city of Vancouver at all. It wasn’t directed at them at all. The (Islanders) fans were all excited, and I was excited to be in a playoff push. It was just kind of one of those things where my emotions got the best of me.

“I was just really happy to be there, to be honest with you. It might have come out the wrong way to a lot of people so I apologize for that. I’m just excited to be in the position right now, to be in a playoff push, to be right there. I really enjoyed my time in Vancouver. I’m not trying to disrespect them at all.”

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Horvat played eight-and-a-half seasons with the Canucks, who drafted him ninth overall in 2013. He was named Canucks captain in October 2019 ahead of their home opener celebrating their 50th season.

With the team mired in a slump and Horvat set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, the Canucks traded him to the Islanders for forward Anthony Beauvillier, prospect Aatu Raty and a conditional first-round pick in the upcoming NHL Draft.

Horvat signed an eight-year, $68 million extension with the Islanders on Feb. 8, just a little over a week after the trade.

The London, Ont. native has already set a new career high this season with 69 points, including seven goals and eight assists in 28 games with the Islanders.

New York (41-30-9) improved to 91 points on the season with the win Saturday night to stay one point ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins and six points up on the Buffalo Sabres.

The Islanders visit the Washington Capitals on Monday, then return home to face the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday for their regular season finale.