Leah Hextall faces backlash over post-game interview that's going viral
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Skyler Walker
Apr 20, 2026 (10:34)
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Photo credit: YouTube Screenshot
Leah Hextall put Lindy Ruff's Buffalo spotlight back on herself after a post-game mix-up with Tage Thompson.
The ESPN broadcaster is taking heat again after an interview line that instantly drew attention from fans watching Sunday night.
Hextall told Thompson that the Sabres were the only NHL franchise he had ever known and referred to this as his 8th year. That was the problem.
Thompson was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the 1st round in 2016, and he played his first 41 NHL games in that organization before the trade to Buffalo.
The Sabres acquired him on July 1, 2018, in the Ryan O'Reilly deal, so the comment missed both his early NHL history and the timeline of his career.
That also matters because this is Thompson's 9th NHL season, not his 8th, which made the mistake hit even harder online.
The issue wasn't small, and fans treated it that way with Leah Hextall
This wasn't just nitpicking over one awkward phrase. It was a basic résumé detail about one of Buffalo's biggest names, delivered right after the game.
That's why the reaction moved fast. Fans flooded social media, calling out the error and framing it as another rough on-air moment for Hextall.
The backlash picked up more steam when former NHL referee Tim Peel weighed in, saying he has been critical of Hextall's work for years.
And that's where this story really lands. It stopped being only a fan complaint once a former league figure joined the pile-on.
Hextall has long split opinions. Some viewers see a broadcaster pushing through a tough lane in hockey media, while others stay locked on mistakes and presentation.
This latest clip won't settle that divide. It only adds another loud moment to it, and this one involved a fact that was easy to check before the mic went live.
For Hextall, that's the real damage here. In a league where details matter, missing one this obvious keeps the noise around her louder than the interview itself.
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