TAKING OUT THE TRASH TALK
The word’s out: Cleaning up on-ice banter is an NHL goal, and players seem cool
When Brad Marchand kissed Leo Komarov in the heat of the action a couple of weeks ago when the Maple Leafs played the Boston Bruins, it highlighted an issue facing the game’s pests.
Namely, how to get under the skin of the opponent in an era where microphones are everywhere, misdeeds spread quickly, politically-correct sensibilities are heightened and context means nothing.
“Nobody says bad things any more,” says Komarov.
“Everyone is a little more aware that the walls have ears,” adds teammate Nazem Kadri. “Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, guys get passionate, it’s going to happen. But not as much as it used to.”
NHL senior vice-president Colin Campbell confirmed to the Star that the league is trying to clean up the language “across the board.”
“And, giving the players credit, they are much more in touch with what they can and can’t say today. They know that they are being monitored in every possible way today,” said Campbell.
If there was a seminal moment for hockey, it was probably in the playoffs last year when Anaheim star Ryan Getzlaf was heard uttering a homophobic slur in Game 4 of the Western Conference final, and subsequently fined $10,000. It focused a lot of unwanted attention on Getzlaf, and may have affected his play. He was minus-3 with one assist the rest of the way as the Ducks were eliminated in six games.
It followed on the heels of Andrew Shaw, then of the Blackhawks, doing much the same thing a season before, suspended one game in the Chicago-St. Louis series.
Greg Millen, the former goalie and now TV analyst who sits between the benches on telecasts, says he’s noticed a decline in trash talk.
“It seems like it’s down,” said Millen. “I haven’t heard as much bantering going on.”
Players receive sensitivity training as part of the NHL Players’ Association’s rookie orientation program and the league is using its on-ice officials to remind players about language.
“There are microphones everywhere,” says former player Steve Yzerman, now general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning. “We see it every day, whether it’s hockey or around the world. What was said 20 years ago isn’t acceptable. Not that it was acceptable then, it was tolerated.
“You have to watch what you say. That’s probably a good thing.”
There is a colourful aspect to the competition between two players. They read up on each other to find out what might get under an opponent’s skin. It could be used to an advantage. Ducks GM Bob Murray hopes the crackdown doesn’t go too far.
“Let’s just watch how much we’re taking out,” said Murray. “Some chirping has to be taken out. But this is still supposed to be a competitive sport. We don’t want two guys standing at the faceoff dot standing like statues. It is part of the hockey game. There should be some talking. I’d rather have some guys standing at centre ice chirping rather than standing at centre ice tapping each other on the shin pads.”
Retired Leaf winger Tie Domi raised his son, Max, in this new world of social media sensibilities.
“It’s a totally different world now,” says Domi. “You have to adjust to the new world. People have to change. You have to make adjustments. I did it with dropping the gloves and taking care of my teammates.”
Marchand’s kiss on Komarov in Boston on Nov. 12 might have been inspired by a conversation Marchand had had with reporters the day before in Toronto, when he lamented the decline in chirping.
“I’m trying to get away from the s--a little bit, and I can’t afford to get suspended,” Marchand joked, initiating the conversation himself. “There used to be guys on every team that would get involved in that, but no one does. You can’t do it, because the second you say anything, the refs are in your face.
“Nobody chirps anymore. There are mics everywhere.
“Family-acceptable chirping? What’s the point of that?”
Kadri said players have to remember they are role models.
“There’s mics everywhere, there’s cameras everywhere. Chances are they are going to pick up what you’re saying. You don’t want to really let all the viewers know what you’re saying. You don’t want to set a bad example. Try to keep it as monotone as possible.
“When you get in the heat of the moment, you try to tone it down a little bit. Understand there are younger people watching. You don’t want to be a bad example. Maybe when the cameras aren’t on you away from the play you can get something in. You definitely have to be more aware.”
Marchand went so far as to surmise the lack of chirping might be related to the lack of fighting, since words that once might have led to fisticuffs are no longer spoken.
“All that stuff is getting pushed off,” said Marchand. Thus the kiss. “That was a little bizarre,” said Kadri. “I’m not sure kissing someone is going to tick them off. I think it’s more an act of love than an act of hate.
“If there’s anybody you’d want to kiss, it’s probably Leo.”