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.
I can’t say that I endorse the behaviour exhibited by Milan Lucic of the Boston Bruins following their playoff loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
In the on-ice handshake line, Lucic appeared anything but happy, especially when ” congratulating ” Dale Weise and then later, Alexei Emelin.
The post series handshake is a tradition in NHL Hockey, a time-honoured activity that sets the sport apart in the eyes of many.
Fair enough.
But when I said I didn’t support Lucic’s behaviour, it doesn’t mean that I don’t understand it.
In Pro Hockey, maybe in pro sports, sadly or otherwise, you will meet the poorest losers on the face of the earth- it’s in the DNA of almost any of them.
And so the last thing you want to do, is shake hands with the winners.
It might be tradition, but there’s a large element of insincerity there, almost phony-baloney behaviour.
And trust me, I see it every year.
The most graphic example was in 2005 when the Kitchener Rangers completed a 4 game sweep of the Attack.
On the ice, the disdain between the coaching staffs was very evident and flesh barely met in the millisecond of ” congratulations “
Meanwhile mere moments after the teams left the ice, in the broadcast booth, the Rangers media came looking for the Owen Sound announcer to shake hands with.
They were too late, by that time, the bitter Owen Sound broadcaster was almost in Elmira
I’m Fred Wallace