"But the reason I hated him is when I signed with Colorado I heard a story about him in preseason" O'Brien said. "He just signed a huge ticket with the Colorado Avalanche, exhibition game, there was a puck in front of the net... this kid shot it. Some young kid that was just playing an exhibition game that I don't think ever played in the NHL. In an exhibition game and Ryan Smyth went to the ref 'It hit my pants' and took the kid's goal in an exhibition game, and this guy was in the league for 10 years by then or maybe more"."
O'Brien went on to add, "At that point I let him know every time I played against him. You think you're Captain Canada Smyth? You're f***ing nuts! Every game I would chirp him 'You're such a f***ing nerd Smythy, no one thinks you're cool, not even people in Edmonton that you think love you'... I hate him, I hate him."