Post by dogcatcher on Sept 11, 2007 6:12:48 GMT -4
Now we're talkin'
QMJHL Sea Dogs, provincial counterparts have planted the seeds for some nastiness this season
Published Tuesday September 11th, 2007
Appeared on page B10
When the Saint John Sea Dogs hosted the annual governors meetings last month, an interesting comment came out of a casual conversation with an official from an Atlantic-based team.
"You want a rivalry? Have a brawl," he said.
Maybe he's right.
Yes, we know it's not a politically correct approach to promoting the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League but nothing gets the heart racing like a good scrap and those watching the Saint John Sea Dogs this season will witness their fair share.
No longer are they the league's lap dogs, striking little fear into their opponents.
This is a team loaded with toughness with plenty of bite to back up the bark.
With Brett Gallant leading the way, he is joined by the rambunctious Mike Thomas of Fredericton, team captain Alex Grant, newcomer Anthony Pisano and a host of others not afraid to drop the gloves.
Having said that, it should make for some interesting matchups with their provincial 'rivals' this season.
The seeds have been planted for some true-blue, on-ice animosity here.
They include at least a couple of pre-season incidents that caused for bad blood to spill onto the ice surface.
First, Thomas was hit with a game misconduct when he laid out European import Adam Bezak of the Wildcats. He received a five-minute major for charging and was sent to the showers.
Instead of answering with some retribution, Moncton skated quietly into the night.
When the game was over, some players offered their opinions of how things should have been handled and they weren't of the kiss-and-make-up-variety.
On Friday in Bathurst, Pisano, a rookie defenceman, was hit with a one-game suspension for buckling Acadie-Bathurst's Marc-Antoine Desnoyers. Pisano was reacting to a hit Desnoyers delivered on Thomas.
"He thought it was a cheap hit and he did it the right way," said Sea Dogs head coach and general manager Jacques Beaulieu. "He went after the guy and threw two punches. He didn't pummel the guy. It was right at our bench and we were telling him that it was enough and he stopped. My job is to control our bench."
Fast-forward to Sunday afternoon at Harbour Station when Thomas was drilled from behind by Tomas Svoboda of the Titan. Saint John defenceman Jeff McNeil came to the rescue, showing no fear in duking it out with Svoboda.
Next up was Jean-Simon Legros, the Titan's designated tough guy. The 6-foot-1, 225-pounder stepped onto the ice and invited Ryan Sparling to dance. Never one to turn down an offer, despite being a highly skilled player, Sparling, who's listed at a generous 5-foot-11 and 173 pounds, answered the call.
The froth had been wiped from Beaulieu's chin by Monday morning but he still had a sour taste in his mouth.
"When a tough guy goes out and taps our skilled guy on the pads, it tells me he was sent to do it," Beaulieu said.
"Rivalries are good. They make it exciting for the players and fans but I'm not very happy with what happened [Sunday]," he said.
Forgive and forget?
"We already know when we're playing Bathurst at home," he said. "It's October 14th."
Beaulieu feels the Titan took the wrong approach. He didn't think they followed hockey's code of honour.
"They knew we had nothing (no tough guys) in our lineup," he said. "They knew Pisano was suspended and (Brett) Gallant was gone (to training camp with the Ottawa Senators). And we all know what Gallant did to Legros last year."
Gallant ended the big winger's season when he broke his orbital bone during a scrap.
"There's a time and a place," said Beaulieu. "When Legros goes out and takes advantage of Ryan Sparling, it's not right. [Legros] never played a shift after that."
No, maybe it's not right but when it comes to rivalries, this is good stuff.
So raise your glasses of bad blood and join us in a toast: Here's hoping a true provincial rivalry emerges from all these pre-season hostilities.
QMJHL Sea Dogs, provincial counterparts have planted the seeds for some nastiness this season
Published Tuesday September 11th, 2007
Appeared on page B10
When the Saint John Sea Dogs hosted the annual governors meetings last month, an interesting comment came out of a casual conversation with an official from an Atlantic-based team.
"You want a rivalry? Have a brawl," he said.
Maybe he's right.
Yes, we know it's not a politically correct approach to promoting the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League but nothing gets the heart racing like a good scrap and those watching the Saint John Sea Dogs this season will witness their fair share.
No longer are they the league's lap dogs, striking little fear into their opponents.
This is a team loaded with toughness with plenty of bite to back up the bark.
With Brett Gallant leading the way, he is joined by the rambunctious Mike Thomas of Fredericton, team captain Alex Grant, newcomer Anthony Pisano and a host of others not afraid to drop the gloves.
Having said that, it should make for some interesting matchups with their provincial 'rivals' this season.
The seeds have been planted for some true-blue, on-ice animosity here.
They include at least a couple of pre-season incidents that caused for bad blood to spill onto the ice surface.
First, Thomas was hit with a game misconduct when he laid out European import Adam Bezak of the Wildcats. He received a five-minute major for charging and was sent to the showers.
Instead of answering with some retribution, Moncton skated quietly into the night.
When the game was over, some players offered their opinions of how things should have been handled and they weren't of the kiss-and-make-up-variety.
On Friday in Bathurst, Pisano, a rookie defenceman, was hit with a one-game suspension for buckling Acadie-Bathurst's Marc-Antoine Desnoyers. Pisano was reacting to a hit Desnoyers delivered on Thomas.
"He thought it was a cheap hit and he did it the right way," said Sea Dogs head coach and general manager Jacques Beaulieu. "He went after the guy and threw two punches. He didn't pummel the guy. It was right at our bench and we were telling him that it was enough and he stopped. My job is to control our bench."
Fast-forward to Sunday afternoon at Harbour Station when Thomas was drilled from behind by Tomas Svoboda of the Titan. Saint John defenceman Jeff McNeil came to the rescue, showing no fear in duking it out with Svoboda.
Next up was Jean-Simon Legros, the Titan's designated tough guy. The 6-foot-1, 225-pounder stepped onto the ice and invited Ryan Sparling to dance. Never one to turn down an offer, despite being a highly skilled player, Sparling, who's listed at a generous 5-foot-11 and 173 pounds, answered the call.
The froth had been wiped from Beaulieu's chin by Monday morning but he still had a sour taste in his mouth.
"When a tough guy goes out and taps our skilled guy on the pads, it tells me he was sent to do it," Beaulieu said.
"Rivalries are good. They make it exciting for the players and fans but I'm not very happy with what happened [Sunday]," he said.
Forgive and forget?
"We already know when we're playing Bathurst at home," he said. "It's October 14th."
Beaulieu feels the Titan took the wrong approach. He didn't think they followed hockey's code of honour.
"They knew we had nothing (no tough guys) in our lineup," he said. "They knew Pisano was suspended and (Brett) Gallant was gone (to training camp with the Ottawa Senators). And we all know what Gallant did to Legros last year."
Gallant ended the big winger's season when he broke his orbital bone during a scrap.
"There's a time and a place," said Beaulieu. "When Legros goes out and takes advantage of Ryan Sparling, it's not right. [Legros] never played a shift after that."
No, maybe it's not right but when it comes to rivalries, this is good stuff.
So raise your glasses of bad blood and join us in a toast: Here's hoping a true provincial rivalry emerges from all these pre-season hostilities.
