PK Subban Shares Innocuous Trump Social Media Post, Fellow Pro Loses His Mind

A seemingly innocuous post from ex-NHLer and ESPN analyst PK Subban led to a full-fledged meltdown from another former player, and it might be one for the ages.

Subban — who will be part of the broadcast for the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off Championship on Thursday night — shared a social media post from US President Donald Trump before it was announced that he would not attend the game in Boston, but did speak to Team USA.

Most people would have scrolled past that without giving it a second thought. If anything, I thought that was just Subban — a former Norris Trophy winner; I think sometimes we all forget just how good he was, especially in Montreal — doing his job as a broadcaster covering one of the storylines going into this game.

So, nothing to see here… unless you're former pro hockey player Akim Aliu, in which case this post from Subban would send you into a social media meltdown.

Aliu Was Hot Under The Collar Over That Rather Benign Post

"I’ve known you since I was 10 years old and played with you so I’d say I know you better than most at a deeper level," Aliu wrote. "You were a hell of a player and instead of using your platform you did everything in your power to gain acceptance and popularity, nothing with you has ever been genuine but transactional and usually for publicity reasons.

"Even during this most sensitive time both politically and socially you take the side of the oppressor because that’s who you make your money from."

Whoa, whoa, whoa… Akim, buddy… you know he works for ESPN, right? 

They're not big Trump fans over there either.

READ: P.K. SUBBAN GOES ON ESPN TO TORCH NBA CULTURE WHILE HINTING THAT NHL PLAYERS ARE BETTER ROLE MODELS

"I would of (sic) thought the ‘love’ you have always claimed for your country, a country you represented at the highest levels would shine through to push back on rhetoric of annexation and humiliation of the very land you are born and raised in, but even that doesn’t get you to do the right morally," he wrote.

Alright, now I will counter that with, maybe having the Leader of the Free World commenting on what is basically a glorified exhibition game — as fun as the tournament has been — is perhaps good for the sport.

I'd also submit for your approval, that had Canada elected better leadership over the last decade or so, all this annexation and tariff talk wouldn't even be a thing.

Anywho, Aliu — who last played for the AHL's San Jose Barracuda during the 2023-24 season — saved his biggest punches for last.

"This is the reason why every place you have played - no one liked you and players on the inside have always known who you really are - a sell out of the highest proportions," Aliu wrote. "You are the perfect example of why people of color haven’t progressed at the highest levels of society. From one man to another, you’re a disgrace and history will judge you accordingly."

Because he shared a post that the President might go to a game? Not gonna like, this diatribe felt like wasted energy.

I thought for a second I was reading a Facebook post from one of my liberal aunts that only the people in her cat cafe group were going to read…

Now, Aliu, as you may recall, played a handful of games in the NHL, but spent most of his career in the AHL and ECHL with some stints in Europe sprinkled in, but he's probably best known for going public with allegations that former Flames coach Bill Peters — who was coaching Aliu with the Rockford IceHogs — used racial epithets toward him.

Aliu then went on to co-found the Hockey Diversity Alliance along with Evander Kane of the Edmonton Oilers.

He has been through a lot, done a lot of great things off the ice, and had a heck of a career… but maybe it's time to put down the phone and get a little fresh air.