Roberts apologizes for calling Gillis a moron

Former NHL forward Gary Roberts is sorry for calling Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis a “moron.”

Roberts apologized on Tuesday for the charged comment, uttered Monday in a discussion about the time Buffalo Sabres forward Cody Hodgson spent with the Canucks and his falling out with the team.

“I absolutely apologize for using that word. I should not have used that word,” Roberts told Sportsnet 590 radio.

“Emotion was part of my game (when I played) and sometimes I always didn’t make the right choice, and you can see I’m still not making the right choices in maybe that word selection.”

Hodgson is training with Roberts during the offseason, something Steven Stamkos did the summer before his breakout sophomore season with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Roberts came to the defence of his pupil following comments by Gillis regarding the Canucks’ relationship with Hodgson, whom the Canucks selected 10th overall in 2008 NHL entry draft.

“I spent more time on Cody’s issues than every other player combined on our team the last three years,” Gillis said at his season-ending news conference, explaining why he traded Hodgson to the Sabres at the trade deadline. That was enough for Roberts. “I felt the time that I’ve spent with Cody Hodgson these last three years, to see the type of person he is and the commitment he’s made to getting healthy and being the player that everybody expected him to be, I really felt strongly to make a stand for that young man the other day,” Roberts said.

“I didn’t mean to cause anybody any grief.”