CALGARY- The tempers that flared up during a line brawl between the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks have cooled, but the aftermath still has people talking.
On Saturday night, all 10 skaters on the ice dropped the gloves as soon as the puck dropped, resulting in an ugly exchange between Canucks coach John Tortorella and the Flames bench. Even more shocking was when ‘Torts’ paid an unexpected visit to the visitors dressing room after the first period, leading to pushing and shoving between both players and coaches.
Tortorella, who is known for his temper, was suspended for 15 days by the NHL because of his actions. Calgary Flames coach Bob Hartley was fined $25,000.
WATCH: Brawl between Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks
“It’s easy for people to say ‘put the Sedins out there and it’s deflated.’ I can’t put our players at risk that way with the lineup he had,” Tortorella explained, following Saturday’s tilt.
“I’m not proud of it, I’ve apologized to every one of the players involved in it, I don’t feel great about it at all.”
Hartley maintained his innocence for his role in what transpired.
“We had absolutely zero intentions there, those guys are playing hard for us, we are a disciplined hockey club,” he said. “They were the home team and had the luxury to put whoever they wanted on the ice.”
Analysts believe the Flames’ decision to start their line of bruisers was done to try and fire up the struggling team, which has only won three games in the last 17.
“I think he just set the hook to see if Tortorella would bite,” says Ryan Leslie from Calgary sports radio station Sportsnet The Fan 960. “Bob Hartley’s boss Brian Burke was in the building, losses are mounting. He knows what Brian Burke likes, a physical tough team. He’s trying to keep his job amidst a lot of losses.”
Leslie adds that it all comes down to the excitement factor.
“If you’ve played and watched sports, that was passion, you can’t always control it. Sometimes you can look at something and say ‘that was pre-meditated.’ I get all that, it was entertaining and we’re in the entertainment business.”
Long-suffering Flames fans say they welcomed the action.
“It was the most exciting game from the Flames I’ve seen all year,” says Calgary fan Leo De Guzman. “You have to find a way to excite your team and that was a great way to start. The fourth line…have been really stepping it up and bringing intensity to the game. If John Tortorella didn’t want it to come out that way he shouldn’t have started his fourth line too.
“It was great, it was awesome, entertaining.”
Tortorella met with NHL officials in New York on Monday, to discuss possible consequences.
-With files from Kevin Smith
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