Bo Horvat throws shade at Canucks fans, says Islanders supporters are better

Islanders forward Bo Horvat took a salty shot at the Canucks and Vancouver fans on Saturday while offering praise to the New York faithful.

Following a crucial 4-0 Islanders win against the Philadelphia Flyers, Horvat was asked how it felt to deliver in front of fans at UBS Arena.

“It’s a lot better than Vancouver. I’ll tell you that for free," Horvat said.

To recap, Horvat was traded from Vancouver to New York on Jan. 30, then signed an eight-year, $68-million extension on Feb. 5.

Immediate postgame interviews with team-friendly media often end up being boring. Yet moments like these justify the entire practice, and remind you that the best time for players to drop their guard and actually say something interesting often comes when the adrenaline hasn’t totally subsided.

It makes it a shame we won’t get to see Horvat and the Islanders visit the Canucks in Vancouver until next season.

Lingering hurt feelings from being traded by Canucks?

So, why did Horvat slam Vancouver and its fans like that?

The first piece to that puzzle might be that he was simply riding a high from a strong performance (two assists) in an important win for New York. With both the Penguins and Panthers also winning on Saturday, the Islanders needed to take care of business, and they did. After a brief slump (three pointless games, just three points in 12 March contests), Horvat’s now put together consecutive two-point performances. Considering where the Canucks’ season ended up, it must be exhilarating to be on the cusp of a possible playoff berth with the Isles.

Maybe Horvat’s still working through a mix of feeling disappointed and slighted. He served as Canucks captain for four seasons, and seemed like he wanted to stay in Vancouver long-term. It’s probably not totally fair to argue that the Canucks essentially chose J.T. Miller over Horvat, but some could see it that way, as there were only so many extension dollars to go around.

Depending who you ask, the Vancouver market can also come across as harsh (and arguably a bit negative/fatalistic).

It’s possible that those feelings boiled over with that quick barb. Then again, maybe Horvat simply believes it’s more enjoyable to play in front of Islanders fans.

Before making this comment, there likely would’ve been questions about whether Horvat would receive more boos or cheers in his return to Vancouver. Now, the only question is about how loud and nasty the boos will be.