Sharks players Hertl and Braun regret insulting Winnipeg in summer-time video

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Tomas Hertl and Justin Braun have learned their lesson. They won’t make fun of Winnipeg again.

The Sharks teammates had made fun of the city this past summer in a videotaped interview that was released by the team’s official broadcaster. Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman and Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister had been outraged and fans frothed at their answers when Hertl and Braun were asked to name the worst NHL city to visit.

Hertl called Winnipeg “cold and dark,” while Braun said the Fairmont Hotel where the team stays at was “questionable” and wondered whether the city has Wi-Fi yet.

Both players were peppered with questions from the media about the months-old incident before San Jose’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Jets on Tuesday night.

“I really had no idea. For a full day I was saying ‘What is actually happening?’ I had no interviews in Winnipeg and then I see it was something we did in the summer,” said Hertl, a Czech, about the response he got after the video was released. “There were 50 different questions and somebody asked me this question and it was more like a joke, you know, it’s ‘dark and cold.’

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“They wanted me to answer something. It was bad timing, everything, you know. I say ‘Shit happens’ but it was not anything good. Hopefully we can move on.”

Braun, who was raised in St. Paul, Minn., didn’t think anything of the video until the negative press started to roll in.

“Yeah, I more than likely thought I’d never see that again. I was joking around, and it blew up huge,” said Braun. “Thankfully, I don’t have social media and people couldn’t find me and yell at me. It wasn’t the intention I was looking for, bringing negative press to the Sharks and myself. I kind of regret that a little bit.”

The Canadian Press