Maple Leafs’ Belak claims innocence to prosecution

TOUGH GUY TOOK FOUR PENALTIES SUNDAY

TORONTO • Wade Belak has the tattooed arms, calloused knuckles and blank stare of a convict.

The Maple Leafs enforcer also has a rap sheet of infractions to go along with his frightful image. And, like most inmates, the 6-foot-5, 220-pounder will rarely admit to being wrong, never mind guilty.

“It sucks when you’ve got to be the guy they penalize when you think you don’t deserve it,” Belak said yesterday.

Of the four penalties Belak received in a pre-season game against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday, the defenceman said only one was deserved. It came when Belak traded blows with Brian McGrattan less than five minutes into the first period of a game that was marred by the hooks and holds of the past.

Even then, Belak’s reasons for fighting were somewhat contentious. “ The only reason I went after him was because he two-handed me in the knee,” Belak said. “Of course, the ref didn’t see that. I was mad at that. I just wanted to grab [McGrattan] and beat on him for a while. It was anger, basically.”

At the end of 60 minutes, the Maple Leafs and Senators had combined for 21 minor penalties. A day after their 5- 2 exhibition game loss, confusion over the calls reigned in the Ricoh Coliseum, despite the fact that referees had explained each blown whistle.

Belak, whose head cushioned several haymakers less than 24 hours ago, was still perplexed after yesterday’s practice.

“It’s tough trying to explain,” Belak said of his tripping penalty. “ The guy dumped it in, and I was just taking my guy, and the other guy came across and kind of tripped over my ass. I don’t know why that should be a penalty. I guess it is now.”

Indeed, across the league this weekend, teams relied more than ever on their special teams’ units, as referees clamped down on obstruction.