Ice hockey announcer drinks out of tobacco spit cup in disgusting mid-game blunder

What was supposed to be an innocent sip of a drink turned into a disgusting and hilarious moment for the Avalanche broadcast team.

In a video posted by Altitude TV’s Vic Lombardi from a recent NHL broadcast, television analyst Mark Rycroft reached down, likely to clear his throat, for a sip of his beverage, the NY Post reports.

Watch an average of 9 NBA Regular Season games per week LIVE on ESPN, available via Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >

At the first gulp, it was evident that this was the wrong cup.

Instead of it being a refreshing drink, it was the tobacco spit cup of his partner, play-by-play announcer Marc Moser.

Rycroft, 45, quickly ripped off his headset to find his own drink, taking several sips upon finding it to wash away the mishap’s lingering taste in his mouth.

He washed out his mouth two times, spitting in the tobacco cup, before putting his headset back on to continue the broadcast.

While doing so, he was laughing and sticking out his tongue, grimacing in disgust.

The incident was kept hidden from fans for a few weeks until the video was posted on X.

“This video has been under lock and key for several weeks. But it’s time,” Lombardi wrote. “As a form of penance for @RadioMoser, we finally release the video of @RycroftMark taking a swig from Moser’s chew spitter DURING an Avalanche game. Enjoy. And Merry Christmas.”

Rycroft, who spent time as a player in the NHL with Colorado and St. Louis, has been an Avalanche studio analyst since October 2008 and also works Denver Pioneers games, per the Altitude website.

The Avalanche have 42 points heading into the weekend, sitting one point behind the Jets for the Central Division lead in the Western Conference.

This article originally appeared on the NY Post and was reproduced with permission.