Thompson, who is hosting the NHL Awards for the second time Tuesday night at 7 ET in Tampa, Florida, played Russ Tyler in “D2: The Mighty Ducks” (1994) and “D3: The Mighty Ducks” (1996). . Have you ever heard of the “knuckle puck”, the shot in which “it’s hard to be accurate, but it drives the goalkeepers crazy”? Yes, that was Kenan Thompson. We spoke with Thompson last week about coming back to host the NHL Awards, making fun of the Tampa Bay Lightning, the New York Rangers and Sidney Crosby fans, the “Mighty Ducks” legacy and the best hockey moment in history of “SNL”. The NHL Awards will be broadcast on ESPN and Thompson will reveal this impression of the killer Kevin Weekes: I am playing 2:17 Kenan Thompson plays NHL analyst Kevin Weekes in a new conference sketch ahead of the NHL Awards show, which airs Tuesday at ESPN at 7 p.m. ET. ESPN: What makes Kenan Thompson eligible for the NHL Awards? Thompson: I’m a big fan of the NHL, man. Basically I’m been in Mighty Ducks since my days. Having a relationship where I can really contribute to the league is a beautiful thing. I want to reciprocate in more ways than just rocking the JumboTron. It’s nice to be actively involved in the community because it’s such a beautiful community. ESPN: Your joke during the 2019 NHL Awards for Tampa Bay Lightning remains legendary: about how their embarrassing defeat by the Columbus Blue Jackets set an NHL record for fewest wins. What is it like for a comedian to bake players sitting there? Thompson: I do not necessarily know about the players, but I definitely heard some reactions from the fans – “How dare you reject us, blah blah blah.” It was not a little. Just stating facts. That’s all. [Laughs] But it seems to have been a big motivator. These guys have been crying ever since. ESPN: You have to take credit for these back-to-back Cups. Thompson: Ever since this joke happened, they are undefeated [every playoff series]. This is the biggest upset I have ever seen. ESPN: Did you become a fan of the New York Rangers because you lived in New York and did “SNL” there? Thompson: Yes, just going to the garden. I love Madison Square Garden, man. So I became a Knicks fan. I started going to Rangers games and supporting them when they were not playing with my teams in Atlanta or Tampa. This Rangers vs. Lightning series was a real tug of war, man. I have a love for Lightning. Absolutely. ESPN: You are part of a very specific NHL tradition: Celebrities in the crowd appearing on JumboTron at Rangers home games. They play a clip from “SNL”, then they show you and the fans cheer. But some celebrities, like Jimmy Fallon, have prepared tracks when they know they’re about to show up. Do you ever play a little? Thompson: It’s unbelievable. It is a great honor even to be recognized that way. Throwing you in front of everyone and the fans reacting … is like New York stroking your back like you stroking New York teams in the back. It’s a very, very nice thing. Lea DeLaria, who played Big Boo in “Orange Is The New Black”, had a drink when she was cast on JumboTron. I went right after her and grabbed my drink and everyone went crazy. Same atmosphere. Difficult party. ESPN: In the past, you said you were Alex Ovechkin. Do you have any other players you like in the NHL? Thompson: It may be a curse to say that, but I respect Sidney Crosby for his talent. I met Sidney in the early NHL Awards and he was just cool. Every time you do something with members of the audience, you could go a little further. But he was willing to participate. He let me jump a little on his shoulders. He’s just a good dude. It’s sad he’s in a rival city for the Rangers, but he’s a good kid. You have to respect talent. I think every time David Ortiz comes to town, he gets applause at Yankee Stadium because they respect what he did. Like, we understand. He played for the Red Sox and gave us a hard time for years. But talent is talent and dedication is dedication. I think cities respect that. Connor McDavid is crazy. Nathan MacKinnon is crazy. TJ Oshie; I love this dude. PK Subban is my friend, so I have to call him. The Rangers team was really solid this year. I have to give it to Igor Shesterkin, playing in such big shoes. I can’t let go of my Lightning, either. Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov are solid. Alex Killorn has been doing the job for years. Being from Atlanta, I can just be a fan of great players. ESPN: Have you ever had weird interactions with a Mighty Ducks fan? Thompson: [Laughs] Strange? No. It has always been super duper love. Hockey fans may be a little noisy after the game and more, but they just want to shout “The Mighty Ducks” and tell me how much they meant to them, how it kept them motivated on the hockey course. It was always a lot of love. ESPN: There is a whole generation of hockey fans who have played hockey either through “The Mighty Ducks” or by playing hockey video games. You probably made new fans. Thompson: Yes, everyone’s SEGA is so amazing. I remember when they played that game in “Swingers”. Just to watch this video, where it’s all [pixelated] but you could still open someone’s head it was amazing. What a season. ESPN: The SNL-Related Hockey Highlight: Elvis Wayne Gretzky’s “Waikiki Hockey” parody or Chance The Rapper’s “Let’s Do That Hockey”? Thompson: [Laughs] Ugh. I should go with Chance. Gretzky is the GOAT and everything, but Chance s — was so relevant. It was unbelievable. When he reads Brady Skjei’s name it’s like “That’s a nope.” ESPN: Suppose Kenan Thompson is an “NHL commissioner for a day.” You can change anything about hockey. What are you changing? Thompson: What would I change? What would I change? I do not know. He feels that he is heading in such a positive direction. How about paying players more? This is always a good answer. These guys out there really confuse it. Give these guys what they need to survive and their families. It takes a great support system to get these kids to this level. So some give back to the communities is always welcome. The NHL is already doing that, so if they did more it would be better. ESPN: “NHL Awards presenter Kenan Thompson: Abbolish the salary cap.” Thompson: [Laughs] There it is. That’s a good title. They will be so crazy with this.
