Let’s start with the good news, folks: The Stanley Cup Playoffs are finally here, with four series getting underway on Monday night. It’s going to be wall-to-wall pucks action from now until June, and that is cause to rejoice. Now for the bad news: With playoff hockey comes dirty playoff hockey—the drunk, bearded cousin of dirty regular-season hockey—where the blindsides are blinder, the blood badder, and the whistle perpetually unheard.
During Game 1 of the St. Louis Blues' and Minnesota Wild's first-round showdown on Monday, Wild captain Jared Spurgeon ushered in this annual killing spree with one of the most bush-league (or should we say beer league?) moves you’ll ever see. Lace those skates up tight and check it out:
We gotta say, we’ve never seen a dude try to cross check another dude’s ankle into baby powder, but the visual is just as bad as it sounds on paper. There’s no hockey play here. There’s nothing noteworthy about Pavel Buchnevich’s challenge for the puck. Spurgeon is just pissed his team is getting their doors blown off and decides to take it out on Buchnevich’s ligaments. And remember, this is the Wild captain we’re talking about here. So much for setting an example for the boys.
Spurgeon earned a two-minute minor for his efforts, but word is further punishment could be coming. Senior ESPN NHL writer Greg Wyshynski has confirmed the NHL Department of Player Safety is looking into the incident. If they see what we see (and the Wild continue to play like they did on Monday night), then Spurgeon's summer might have just started a little early.
The best of Golf Digest delivered daily
Sign UpWill be used in accordance with our PRIVACY POLICY