Kelly McCrimmon didn’t mince words when asked about the Rotowire poll that ranked the Golden Knights as the most hated team in the NHL. In his season-ending news conference, the general manager delivered a passionate defense of the franchise’s decade-long run, attributing the disdain to one emotion: jealousy.

“I think people have a hard time explaining why we win as much as we do,” McCrimmon said. “For me it’s jealousy and people are uncomfortable admitting that we’ve done a hell of a job.”

Several players also pushed back on the label, but McCrimmon’s rant was the most pointed. He acknowledged that the Knights have benefited from favorable expansion rules, used long-term injured reserve in a way that prompted league rule changes, and leveraged Nevada’s tax-friendly environment as a recruiting tool. But he dismissed criticism as sour grapes.

“Yeah, because we had Mark Stone get back surgery in February just for fun,” McCrimmon quipped about the LTIR accusations.

Jack Eichel echoed the sentiment, calling the poll a product of a “random bunch of people” and noting he’s never heard of any player putting Vegas on a no-trade list.

McCrimmon also defended the organization’s treatment of players. “This organization treats the players fantastic,” he said. “The organization gives our players every resource to be the best that they can as a person and a player. And it’s a great city to live in.”

The Knights’ cutthroat approach — from refusing to let a fired coach speak to other teams to signing goaltender Carter Hart after his reinstatement — has fueled the narrative. But McCrimmon made clear the team won’t apologize for its winning culture.

“First and foremost, people come here because we try to win and they like being on teams that try to win,” he said. “We’re not going to apologize for that.”