NHL fans watching the Minnesota Wild and Edmonton Oilers Tuesday night, may have caught something they never expected to hear on a sports broadcast.
The moment occurred about midway through the second period after a high-sticking penalty was called on Edmonton. With the broadcast turning to the referee who was standing at center ice, a voice could be heard very clearly stating, “Every goalie’s r*tarded.”
INSANE HOT MIC MOMENT https://t.co/Yfgqo06fDj
— Bussin’ With The Boys (@BussinWTB) October 21, 2026
Based on social media reactions, the comment was heard over the Wild+ broadcast, but not on Sportsnet, which airs Oilers games in Canada.
We don’t know who the voice belonged to, but the r-word did not appear to be dropped by any of the announcers on the broadcast. Based on a fit of laughter that followed the comment, it likely came from someone in the crowd and was picked up by the broadcast as they opened the official’s mic. It’s not uncommon for a slur or expletive to be picked up by a mic and aired on a broadcast, but this comment was exceptionally clear.
Play-by-play voice Anthony LaPanta and analyst Ryan Carter were on the call Tuesday night for the Wild, and they did not react to the hot-mic moment from the crowd. If they did hear it, they may not have known whether it was aired for the audience.
Hockey goalies don’t need to be defended from an isolated slur, but they’ve often been subjected to jokes about their intelligence because you need to be a different kind of person to have a puck fired at you at 90mph. And while hockey goalies might be unique, maybe even a little strange or quirky, they’re also quick thinkers with an elite understanding of the game.