Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Audio By Carbonatix
It’s no secret that people in Canada tend to take hockey pretty seriously. Oilers fans are certainly no exception, but the wife of Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner says their family has been subjected to unhinged behavior during a season where her husband has hit some rough patches during the team’s journey to the Stanley Cup Final.
Stuart Skinner has been the primary goaltender for the Oilers since he earned the starting job in 2022, but he hasn’t exactly been a top candidate for the Vezina Trophy thanks in no small part to the inconsistent play that has been a hot topic of conversation in Edmonton over the past few years.
The Oilers have made it to the Stanley Cup Final in back-to-back years, but it’s no secret that stars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl deserve the bulk of the credit for propelling them there as opposed to a goalie who’s been very hit-or-miss (especially in the postseason).
As things currently stand, Skinner has posted a 26-21 record in the playoffs but hasn’t exactly dazzled with a .894 save percentage. The aforementioned inconsistency reared its head over the first few rounds this year: during the first seven games he played in, he either recorded a shutout or had a save percentage of .833 or less (the Oilers lost all of the contests that fell under that second umbrella).
He has subsequently been painted as a scapegoat by many Oilers fans who’ve been underwhelmed by his play, but based on what his wife Chloe had to say during a recent appearance on the Breaking the Ice podcast, some of them have gone way too far when it comes to voicing their displeasure.
During a segment that begins around the 34:00 mark, Chloe discussed the harassment she’d been subjected to, saying:
“We have a very passionate fan base, and the people here live and breathe for the Oilers. It’s a tale as old as time, where the goalie is the punching bag a bit.
This year definitely got intense. There was times where security had to be involved. My DMs are filled with death threats towards the kids, towards myself, from anonymous accounts, people hiding behind their screens. It can get really ugly; people threatening if they ever see us they’re gonna take us out…
When I do read those, I do get really scared and I do obviously worry for the safety of my family and my young boys. It’s terrifying to think that there might be people out there who are gonna hurt us over the result of the game. It is a little deranged.”
She also noted Skinner doesn’t actually monitor any of the social media accounts he’s affiliated with to counter the narrative of Oilers fans she’s come across who have somehow convinced themselves they’ve been able to positively influence his performance by bullying him online.
Anyone who goes out of their way to threaten the kids of a professional athlete because they’re mad about how they played is probably beyond saving, but I feel like I’m still obliged to say it’s something you shouldn’t do.