Tony DeAngelo claims he was kicked out of the NHL because of his support for Donald Trump

Former NHLer Tony DeAngelo is taking a victory lap on social media this afternoon after Donald Trump won the US Presidential election yesterday.

The KHLer is spending the day dunking on people online, doing a great job of lifting himself up in the process. Sound familiar? This guy is seemingly his own biggest fan.

Some posts from DeAngelo today:

Great job, Tony. I'm sure DJT couldn't have done it without your support... lol

As for his assertion that his support for Trump is "one of the reasons I'm not in the NHL anymore"... C'mon. I mean... c'mon. He can't REALLY think that, can he? I would wager that the majority of NHL players are Trump supporters, at least quietly. The NHL voting pool has always been pretty conservative. If DeAngelo thinks his support for Trump contributed to him having to sign in Russia, then he's simply too far gone. Let him live in his own echo-chamber.

Former NHL referee Tim Peel took some issue with exactly this and and let DeAngelo know in the comments. Check out the entire exchange:

This is like watching two drunk Uncles fight over something they read on Facebook... exhausting.

Personally, I think it's clear that DeAngelo has the skill to compete in the NHL, but he has essentially been driven out of the league because he just kind fit into a team dynamic. Or, at least, he has struggled to do so at the NHL level. 

"I waited through most of the summer," DeAngelo said in a one-on-one interview with RG.org earlier this season. "It took a bit long. It was back and forth. With a bunch of different things, the negotiation process wasn't where we wanted to go. I had a great opportunity to come here and play in a great League with great players. It was the best situation for myself at this time."

DeAngelo says he "considered every option", including signing a PTO contract in the NHL: "Any option was on the table, but as I said, the best option for me was this one."

In other words, 'I had options, but no good options... so now I'm in Russia.'

It's believed that DeAngelo couldn't even land a stellar contract in Russia though and it has been reported that his contract carries a low salary with several performance bonuses.

"I'm a confident player," he said. "I'm confident about what I can do regarding bonuses. I want to win as well. The most important thing is winning. A win is good for everybody. I'm looking to be a big part of the team."

As for his return to the NHL?

"I guess, we'll see. I'm not sure. That question is not for me but for GMs and coaches in the NHL. Now, I'm just focused on this season."