The NHL has marked it’s 100th anniversary with several commercials and a special patch on all player jerseys this year. The Anaheim Ducks decided to get in on the fun with a special commercial marking the anniversary, but have decided to pull it following a rather mixed reaction.
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The Ducks had forward (and Livonia, MI native) Ryan Kesler walk around the team offices while wearing no clothing. A black bar covered the front and back portion of his intimate areas as he walked by female co-workers en route to a male co-worker’s office.
“Kes, what are you doing, bud?” the male co-worker asks. “You’ve got no clothes on.”
“It’s the NHL’s 100th birthday,” Kelser responds. “I’m celebrating in my birthday suit.”
The screen then flashes (no pun) a message that read “Happy 100th Birthday NHL from the Anaheim Ducks!”
This of course comes at a time where several entertainment and political figures are being accused of sexual harassment and assault. Many people on social media criticized the team for the commercial, saying that it was insensitive and tone deaf.
Following the mixed reaction, the Ducks decided to pull the video and issued an apology.
“Our tweet posted earlier today was meant to be a lighthearted video celebrating the NHL’s 100th birthday,” the team said on its official page. “We realize in retrospect the content of the video may have been insensitive and we have removed the video and apologize.”
Kesler is a former Selke Trophy winner who hasn’t played yet this season due to an injury. Growing up in Michigan, he played for for teams such as Compuware, Honeybaked, and Little Caesars of the MWEHL. He also played for the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor. He attended college at Ohio State University and was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks, with whom he spent the first portion of his NHL career.
