Biggest Social Media Moments so Far in the 2015-16 NHL Season

Year by year, social media is becoming more and more integrated into our everyday sports experiences.

Whether we're following breaking news from hockey's leading reporters, sneaking a peek behind the scenes of life with our favourite stars or immersing ourselves in rumour or controversy, we can usually find what we're looking for in 140 characters or less on Twitter or in visual form on Instagram.

Here are eight of the most intriguing social media moments to have hit the NHL so far in the 2015-16 season.

8. Selena Gomez Flirts with Tom Wilson

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

It's Like-gate, Hollywood style. Mara Siegler of Page Six reported in late November that pop star Selena Gomez had been subtly flirting online with winger Tom Wilson of the Washington Capitals by liking some of his Instagram photos.

Gomez was apparently introduced to Wilson by actress Julianne Hough, who's engaged to the Capitals' Brooks Laich. Unfortunately for the singer, Wilson is already spoken for. His longtime girlfriend is Canadian beach volleyball player Taylor Pischke.

7. Jaromir Jagr Asks Not to Be Voted into the All-Star Game

Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Not only has Jaromir Jagr been reinvigorated on the ice since joining the Florida Panthers last spring, he has also taken his social media game to the next level.

In 2015-16, Jagr's Twitter feed surpassed his notorious teammate Roberto Luongo, a.k.a. @strombone1, for entertainment and information.

Jagr's self-deprecating tone is a big part of his charm, as he illustrated when he went straight to the fans in order to ask them not to vote him into this year's All-Star Game.

"Fans—I appreciate your votes for All-Star game, but 3 on 3 would kill me,and i don't want to die yet. ... Thank you for understanding. Too old," he tweeted on Dec. 2.

Two days later, he shared footage of the Nashville Predators' Pekka Rinne's save from his back-handed effort from point-blank range during the Panthers' 2-1 win at the Bridgestone Arena on Dec. 3 to provide another reason not to choose him: "Fans—this is another reason why you shouldn't vote for me for All-Star game. Old and no good :))) thanks God we won."

Let the old man enjoy his golden years in peace!

6. Brandon Prust Defends Rookie Teammate from Afar

Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

After suffering a nasty ankle injury on October 27, tough guy Brandon Prust was rehabbing at home in Vancouver when rookie Canucks teammate Jake Virtanen got into a scuffle with Bobby Farnham of the New Jersey Devils on November 8. 

From 3,000 miles away, Prust laid down a licking on Farnham for celebrating excessively after the scrap: "Wow [Bobby] Farnham [you're] so tough acting like that after fighting a 19 year old. Go back to the A."

Farnham and Prust met face to face just two weeks later, when the Devils visited Vancouver on November 22. The game passed without incident, though Iain MacIntyre of the Vancouver Sun pointed out that Farnham did refuse an invitation to tangle with the Canucks' other enforcer, Derek Dorsett.

5. Fan Delivers Fast Food Burger to Tyler Seguin

LM Otero/Associated Press

A random tweet by a fan caught the eye of Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin as he prepared for the 2015-16 season with a sled hockey game in late August.

Asked whether he wanted an In-N-Out Burger, Seguin couldn't refuse: "Double double with just ketchup. Please."

Lindsey Dortch delivered on her promise and got a sweet photo op with Seguin in exchange for her trouble.

Savvy Seguin runs a lively Twitter account and created another big media moment during the offseason when he posed for ESPN The Magazine's 2015 Body Issue on a Zamboni and with an oversized rubber duck.

4. Teemu Selanne Offers Anaheim Ducks Some Inspiration

A few players who ruled the NHL in the '90s have probably even impressed their kids with their mastery of the new social media language—none more so than fun-loving Teemu Selanne.

Selanne's Instagram is a treasure trove of images of him hobnobbing with sports celebrities, celebrating his Finnish heritage, reminiscing about his legendary career and, yes, needling his old teammates on the Anaheim Ducks after their slow offensive start to the 2015-16 season.

He's now 45 years old, but in the video above, Selanne shows he still has the soft hands. The Ducks could use a touch like that as they try to fight their way out of the Pacific Division cellar and back into playoff contention.

3. Jeremy Roenick Attacks an Alligator

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Another renowned partier whose hockey career peaked in the 1990s, Jeremy Roenick is now an analyst for NBC Sports, but he hasn't lost his sense of adventure.

Roenick's 2012 memoir, J.R.: My Life as the Most Outspoken, Fearless, and Hard-Hitting Man in Hockey, outlined numerous capers from his playing days. In retirement, the two-time 50-goal scorer still puts himself in dangerous situations—such as when he tackled an alligator on a golf course, shared by SportsRadio 94WIP's Rhea Hughes.

Lucikly for Roenick, the alligator chose not to underestimate his human foe.

2. Team Canada

Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

One of the biggest social media stories heading into the holiday season is a blackout by Team Canada at the World Junior Championship in Finland.

In early December, the Canadian Press reported (via NHL.com) that two-time World Junior participant Connor McDavid was strongly advising this year's players to avoid Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, especially reading what was being written.

"The first year, I was reading everything the media had to say and what everyone was saying and it's not very good most of the time in the world juniors," said McDavid. "So my second go-around I just made sure I wasn't on anything and wasn't reading anything and I definitely felt a lot better about it."

TSN's Frank Seravalli reported this year's group held a team meeting on December 16, during which it was decided Facebook and Twitter are off limits for the duration of the tournament. "Team Canada’s players will still be allowed to post photos from their Scandinavian adventure to their Instagram accounts, but only on off-days," Seravalli added.

For most of the teenagers at the World Juniors, it's their first time on a highly scrutinized international stage. It make sense to manage their experience and minimize distractions as much as possible.

Going forward, it'll be interesting to see whether similar bans come into play during high-pressure adult situations such as the Stanley Cup playoffs or the World Cup of Hockey.

1. Steven Stamkos Likes Toronto Maple Leafs Tweet

Claus Andersen/Getty Images

Just days ahead of his team's December 15 visit to the Air Canada Center, Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos caused a ruckus in Hogtown when he liked a tweet by Toronto-based sports broadcaster TSN asking whether the Leafs should try to sign him when he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Josh Cooper of Yahoo's Puck Daddy picked up the story and reminded us this is the third time Stamkos has stirred the pot on this subject, with social media likes that date back as far as the summer of 2014.

A two-time winner of the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL's top goal scorer, Stamkos is not performing up to his usual standards in Tampa Bay this year. He has just 11 goals and 23 points in 33 games so far, and there hasn't been any firm indication to date that the Lightning plan to re-sign him to a long-term, big-money deal.

The Toronto media is fixated on Stamkos because he's a local boy who will be just 26 when he's scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. After the Leafs were able to lure head coach Mike Babcock into the organization last year, a star scorer is a logical target as the next component of the franchise's rebuild.

Stamkos told Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Bay Times there was no underlying intent behind the like that caused the most recent furore. "I guess when you are in the spotlight, and lots of people have done things accidentally, it probably doesn’t look great. But I’m telling you guys that it was an accident and hopefully this is the last time I have to answer questions about Twitter."