are apologies necessary in hockey?
TRANSCRIPT
The excitement that surrounds the game on and offthe ice adds a whole new dimension to what
hockey is and why we like it so much.
Our favorite players are distinguished by their skillon the ice as well as their toughness.
I have certainly stood up and cheered when a littleextra conflict breaks out.
That said, I think it is important to remember thatfights and other conflicts are not really within the
scope of the game.
Thus, when Scott Hartnell decided to apologize tohis Blue Jackets teammates, I thought that spoke
well of his regard for sportsmanship.
This close match was tied at 1-1 at the end of thethird quarter so anything might have tipped the
score to favor one team or the other.
Here is how the events unfolded:
Hartnell had words near the Avalanche bench.When it was time to yield the ice for anAvalanche line change, Hartnell refused tomove.A penalty was called because there were toomany men on the ice.Hartnell was kept on the bench for the rest ofthe game.
This is hardly the knock-down fight we sometimessee in hockey but it is an example ofunprofessionalconduct.
I am sure all my readers can think of other situationswhen similar conflicts came up.
In this case, Hartnell chose to apologize to the BlueJackets. His actions interfered with the game and histeammates.
Taking the initiative to address an instance of poorsportsmanship speaks highly to Hartnell’s
commitment to his team and to sport.
I hope that we will see other instances of playerschoosing the higher road even after mistakes are
made.