NBC Sports has confirmed that former NHL player and hockey commentator Jeremy Roenick will not be returning following a suspension prompted by comments that he made on a December episode of the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast.
“Confirmed,” said an NBC Sports spokesperson via email. “He won’t be returning to NBC Sports. We have no further comment.”
Roenick on Wednesday afternoon tweeted a video message on the decision, alongside the comment “What a Joke!!”
“I”m very disappointed and angry today that I will not be returning to NBC,” he said in the video. “Though disappointed, I’m also grateful that I’ve had my opportunity to share my love, my passion, my knowledge of the game with millions of people, millions of fans, and for that, I thank you. Even though I’m leaving NBC, I will not be gone for long. I’ll be back better and more motivated to bring you the best entertainment and the best that I have for the game of hockey.”
He then thanked his fans for their support.
During the podcast, Roenick recounted a vacation to Portugal with his wife and NHL colleague Kathryn Tappen.
“We’re in the pool one day in Portugal… and I’m swimming with my wife and Kathryn, and they’ve got their bikinis on, and they look f—in’ smokin’,” he said. “Ass and boobs everywhere. It’s great.”
He then joked that “I play it off like we’re going to bed together every night, the three of us.”
Roenick later in the episode discussed Tappen’s position as a woman in a male-dominated industry, and said she is “one of the most professional… sports personalities that I know,” touting her knowledge of sports and adding that he was lucky to work with her.