Hi, this is Fred Wallace with ” Off the Wire “, brought to you by Hal Wright Chevrolet-Cadillac-GMC-Buick on the Sunset Strip in Owen Sound.
Earlier this month Tomas Hertl of the San Jose Sharks scored 4 goals against the New York Rangers; the 4th one a flashy, between-the-legs made-for-the-highlight reel marker.
Naturally, the fabrication of daily hockey news jumped on it as the topic of the day, wondering if Hertl was showboating, rubbing it in, or displaying poor sportsmanship with the marker.
Some thought ” yes “, others thought ” no “.
Personally, I didn’t care.
But what I found interesting was the fallout when the throng of hockey media quizzed Hertl about it.
Teammate Joe Thornton uttered a retort on behalf of Hertl that was pure locker room.
A journalist quoted Thornton’s response and a new storm erupted regarding sanctity of the dressing room and journalistic ethics of those within the confines.
Is any of this shocking ? Not really, not if you’ve ever spent a second in a change room.
Is any of this newsworthy ? I’d say no, but based on the crossfire that followed the goal and the response by Joe Thornton, apparently I’m wrong on that assessment.
I’m Fred Wallace