Analyst says Tony DeAngelo is not disliked by his teammates

With Tony DeAngelo now a member of the Carolina Hurricanes after being effectively dumped by the New York Rangers, there are plenty of opinions on both sides as to whether the controversial defenceman deserves another chance. There have been stories of issues with teammates dating back to his time in junior hockey. However, Mike Rupp, a former NHLer turned analyst for the NHL Network, said people shouldn't be so quick to believe everything.

"Just a friendly reminder that every teammate of Tony DeAngelo that I have ever spoken to, thoroughly enjoyed him as a teammate! Some people can't help themselves in trying to vilify him to fit their agenda. Lets move on now," said Rupp.

I'm guessing he must not have spoken to Alex Georgiev, DeAngelo's former teammate in New York. The two reportedly exchanged blows following a game in early January after DeAngelo made a sarcastic remark to him in the dressing room. That said, tensions run high between teammates all the time and they sometimes boil over.

DeAngelo said Wednesday that everyone has his word that he'll be a grade A teammate and will do everything he can to get Carolina as far as possible. At the end of the day, the $1 million contract is very low risk for the Hurricanes. If it doesn't work out, the two can part ways with little in the way of a penalty.