What Happened during Hockey Day in Canada?

Hockey Day in Canada came and went on Saturday but as usual, it wasn’t without some major storylines along the way. While Ron McLean shared the ice with several house league teams in Peterborough, Ontario, many NHL teams took to the ice to leave their own mark. And some took that expression a bit more literally than others.

The Ottawa Senators started it all off, as they hosted the Winnipeg Jets at Scotiabank Place. Neither team put in an outstanding effort, with the exception of the two backup goalies that took to the nets — Ben Bishop for Ottawa, and Al Montoya for Winnipeg. But the Senators looked especially sluggish, giving the puck away eight times by the second period, and clearly missing center Jason Spezza, who will miss the season due to a back injury. The slow-paced game ended with a score of 1-0, in favor of Winnipeg.

Meanwhile in Detroit, the Red Wings hosted the Edmonton Oilers in a game that was a bit more action-packed than what was seen in Ottawa. The Oilers faced particular trouble with their power play, an area in which they are typically very skilled. It was those power plays (for both teams) that kept the game as exciting as it was, and still tied in the third period. When Niklas Kronwall put the puck in Edmonton’s net though, it was all over, and Detroit had their third win in four days.

But the most scandalous and controversial part of Hockey Day in Canada came when the Montreal Canadiens hosted their long-time rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs. This game wasn’t close from the very beginning, and Toronto ended up with a big 6-0 win. But not even that was the big news of the game.

That came when Mikhail Grabovski ended up in a scrum with Montreal’s Max Pacioretty. After the whistle was blown in the third period, Pacioretty came up to Grabovski and pulled at his face; something that’s not very sportsmanlike, but also not a rarity during a hockey game. What happened next is rare though. Grabovski then allegedly took a bit out of Pacioretty’s arm. Other Leafs players are claiming ignorance on seeing the bite, while Canadiens are saying the clear teeth marks on Pacioretty’s arm are all the evidence that’s needed. The next game between the two teams will be on February 27, and it will be interesting to see if the Leafs have a chance of winning after that provocation.

Hockey Day in Canada is an annual event that fans look forward to each year. They can also look forward to Hockey Day in America, which will take place on February 17 this year.

Categorized in: NHL