Ok. By now I am sure that anybody that wants to make a bigger deal out of this than it needs to be has already done so and therefore I will not partake in said activities. One thing I will say is that out of all people, Andrew Ference is not the first (nor even the first person on the Bruins, that would probably go to Brad Marchand) that would be expected to do something like this:
Ference is the guy that drives a Zip Car and tries to rally other NHL players to the environment's aid by trying to offset the league's carbon footprint. Although when he claims that he had no intention of committing such an act of incredible disrespect towards the Montreal crowd I'd have to imagine that he did this consciously regardless of his other good deeds. And yea it was rude, but this is only adding another minor piece of wood to the B's/Habs bonfire. If this had happened in Boston and perhaps P.K. Subban/Mike Cammalleri had flipped off the Garden crowd there would be much the same immediate outrage, but I don't believe there would be as long lasting an impression as it seems there is going to be in Habsland.
The NHL seems to agree with my thoughts seeing as earlier today they fined Ference a pittance of $2500. Nothing close to the suspensions for similar acts earlier this season byAndy James Wisniewski (of the Habs) and Sean Avery. Although I am a Bruins fan (you may have noticed based on the title of the blog) I will admit when the league dropped the ball by not being consistent in their response to the action. They held Wisniewski out of games for his inappropriate gesture to another player, but they only fine Ference for his crowd-displeaser?
In closing, the league needs to get their act together and draw a straight line in the sand on inappropriate behavior by its players instead of relying on the "Wheel of Justice" to blur any one's line of what is acceptable or not.
Ference is the guy that drives a Zip Car and tries to rally other NHL players to the environment's aid by trying to offset the league's carbon footprint. Although when he claims that he had no intention of committing such an act of incredible disrespect towards the Montreal crowd I'd have to imagine that he did this consciously regardless of his other good deeds. And yea it was rude, but this is only adding another minor piece of wood to the B's/Habs bonfire. If this had happened in Boston and perhaps P.K. Subban/Mike Cammalleri had flipped off the Garden crowd there would be much the same immediate outrage, but I don't believe there would be as long lasting an impression as it seems there is going to be in Habsland.
The NHL seems to agree with my thoughts seeing as earlier today they fined Ference a pittance of $2500. Nothing close to the suspensions for similar acts earlier this season by
In closing, the league needs to get their act together and draw a straight line in the sand on inappropriate behavior by its players instead of relying on the "Wheel of Justice" to blur any one's line of what is acceptable or not.
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