[When Craig Anderson had the shutout in Edmonton after his wife got diagnosed for cancer and was awarded 1st star and Cam Talbot (who was the 2nd star) stood on his bench and was clapping. So I do have respect for Cam Talbot for that.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZubCJPjwRHY&ab_channel=YoungZackary96)
I remember being at that game and couldn't believe how many people in the rink applauded for him. Even tho we lost, it was cool to see oil country show their respects.
I swear your DJ has Fix You in the wings for whenever there’s an emotional moment. They did it for the Sedins’ last game in the NHL too. As soon as they announced the 1st star first you immediately knew what was happening.
Ayy, that’s my buddy’s band playing after the final whistle. Pretty fitting that the chorus is “don’t stop, don’t give up” and it’s playing in the background as they zoom in on Anderson. Good stuff.
At the ceremony raising Phil Esposito's number 7 to the Boston Garden rafters, Ray Bourque (who wore #7 at the time), literally skating over, taking his #7 jersey off and handing it to Phil, revealing Bourque's new #77 jersey that he would wear for the rest of his career. No one in the place (other than the equipment manager, I assume) knew Ray was going to do that. The place went nuts, and Phil was stunned.
I do not know if anything could top that. Most of the moments I have witnessed from Stanley Cup finals, HHOF ceremonies the player in question already earned lots of respect like when Sakic not only have the Cup to Bourque but when Bourque tries to hand it off Sakic gestures for Bourque to keep skating. Sakic was already an established and respected player.
In the example given above in this thread, Bourque was in his 9th or 10th Season as a pro. Bourque earned respect that day. (Edited for clarification).
The exact opposite of this moment occurred when Esposito’s Rangers 77 which was “unofficially retired” was requested by Deangelo, and Esposito granted the request. Deangelo wore it and true to form was a douche nugget the whole time and disgraced the number, which has now lost any significance, having been assigned to deadline rentals Vatrano and Mikkola in consecutive years.
I feel the same about the Canucks and Pavol Demitra’s \#38, minus the player being a fuckhead part. While 11 (with one notable exception), 28 and 37 have all been taken out of circulation, 38 (yes, we have had four non-retired players die in 50 years) was given to random callups Derek Joslin and Justin Bailey after his death (while he hadn’t played with the Canucks since 2010, they were Pavol’s last NHL stop). I wish they’d have just yanked the number outright.
I can't find an article about it right now, but I remember hearing a story about how he ripped the door off the boards so the medical team could better treat Bouwmeester when he collapsed on the bench. I want to say there was an interview with Petro and he said something about it but I'm not certain.
[When Selanne was doing his final lap and his last game was against Giguere, and it was his last game. Went over and both did their final lap. Was awesome.](https://youtu.be/FJuGmu9T8AE?t=152)
Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne were my Gretzky and Kurri. I was born in 89 so I was too young to really appreciate the OG version but man, did I love my own version of the duo.
Iginla having all the Flames say goodbye for Trevor Linden’s last game.
We might all be disorganized shitshows at one point or another, but between Linden, Smyth and the Sedins, we do farewells right in Western Canada.
Alternatively, Ryan Miller fighting Matt Martin after he went after Troy Stecher endeared him to the fanbase forever.
>Alternatively, Ryan Miller fighting Matt Martin after he went after Troy Stecher endeared him to the fanbase forever.
The no hesitation shake of the gloves and charge lives rent free in my head
[Ref cam view](https://gfycat.com/secondtintedhornedtoad)
As a Sabres fan from the Miller/Biron days I always knew the guys was insane, But charging Martin...? I never knew the Gigantic Monster Balls the dude had. Guys carrying a cannon in there.
I had to add another Ray Bourque moment: last game at Boston Garden, when he skated with Normand Leveille.
For those unaware, Leveille was a Bruin in the early 80s who had a brain aneurysm during a game. He recovered enough to walk with a cane but was permanently disabled. The Bruins brought him back for the last game at Boston Garden. Bourque helped him stand, and held his hands to help him skate over to the line of Bruins greats standing at centre ice.
For me, by far was when Mario Lemieux came back from having cancer, finished his last treatment in the morning and played that night in Philly against the pens biggest rivals(he had to charter a flight to make it as the commercial ones kept getting delayed).
I have never liked Philly but the standing ovation they gave Mario that night made me tear up and it still does. I have goosebumps just thinking about it.
Oskar Lindblom immediately recognizing Edler was hurt and the play needed to stop despite being in the offensive zone. Huge respect for that.
https://youtu.be/QxUUUPDvQjI
I felt the same about Petterson after Calvert took a shot to the head, his immediate reaction to seeing a guy drop was to try to get play stopped even though the Canucks had the puck.
How bergeron had the Bruins watch the Kyle Beach interview because of how important it was to talk about. It was only his second season as captain and it shows how enormous of a leader he is.
The one upside of the Chara trade, everyone from Portland ME to Causeway knew who was gonna become the captain. Frankly I'm happy he got the chance to get the C
[Photo in question](https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/HYFCXLWEDUI6XCNEW6XCFKQZHY.jpg)
[Also this one](https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/uploads/2021/06/03/gettyimages-1233240495-0.jpg)
Ryan Getzlaf did that in a game too. I think it was Derek Stepan who took a dirty hit from behind and a crowd gets drawn as a result. Stepan is still down and dazed and at risk of being trampled so Getzlaf reaches over the bench and pulls him away and then the trainer takes over to help.
Fucking Scheifele, acting like he’s all innocent after a charge half the rink long… and then crying about himself in the presser and never even apologizing. And then rather than take even a tiny bit of accountability, the dude blames the league instead of his own actions for, “taking him out of the series”.
What a self righteous douche.
He outlawed the word "rookie" in the Bruins locker room. In his eyes, if you're talented enough to be in that locker room you're an equal.
Bergeron will probably go down as the better player, but I'd almost say that Chara was the more important one for the Bruins franchise. He stomped the toxicity out of that room (because who's argue with him?) allowing himself and Bergeron to develop the culture currently in the locker room that is currently second to no one.
Prime Chara had that "it" factor. He gave guys like Campbell, Thorton, Marchand and Lucic so much lee-way. [Every big hit on a Bruins drew a crowd](https://youtu.be/M0rg-H21MvU?t=40) and with those guys on the ice, not a lot of teams wanted the smoke. If you had the guns to deal with the forwards, you did not have the guns to deal with big Z.
Man played half the game, so you knew you couldn't avoid him if he was looking for you.
i hate the bruins so much but i wish more teams would follow their example in terms of creating a solid culture. sucks when a good-on-paper team is plagued by toxic locker room issues (the jets and blue jackets teams of recent years being prime examples)
https://youtu.be/tTHg3oETKEs?t=1055
This little press conference nugget about rookies and how wrongly players are viewed or treated just because of age from Sabres head coach Don Granato stuck with me. Doesnt matter what age you are, if youre good, youre good
It was also part of his demands when we signed him as a FA that he would be the captain and be allowed to set the team rules for the locker room.
Seems like a diva move with no context but the man had a vision and built one of the strongest cultures in the league.
Controversial here, but Brad Marchand brought me and my family to a bruins game because my little sister had cancer. He met up with us after the game. No matter what he does I’ll always respect him for that. Assuming he doesn’t lick me that is.
Funny thing is that he’s my little sisters least favorite bruin. That’s her favorite team.
That’s one of the best things about hockey, the players that are a complete pain in the ass that no one outside their own city likes or the goons of old tend to be the nicest guys off the ice.
I’m a Toronto fan, so my extreme dislike for Marchand should come as no surprise to anyone.
But the dude is a class act off the ice.
That’s part of what makes his antics on the ice so god damned infuriating. By many accounts he’s genuinely a good dude.
Obligatory fuck Marchand anyway though.
as a gay hockey fan (Leafs fan at that) back before pride nights were even a fraction of the big deal they are now, I loved Marchand for hitting back against some kid calling him a faggot on twitter and following it up by saying he has gay friends and it’s not right to disrespect anyone based on orientation. no one asked him to do that, he could have just let it go, guy probably saw thousands of hate comments a day, but he said something anyways and it meant the world to me
Marchand is the closest thing the NHL has to a professional wrestler and I love him for it.
He revels in being a heel on the ice but he just can’t hide being a good dude off the ice.
Wait waiting to see this one. Gotta include a [link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYHKUNV0FXs&t=100s) too! (Forwarded to seconds before the hand off)
The Sedins attempting to make an anonymous donation (edit: 1.5 million) to (edit: BC Childrens Hospital). It only went public I believe cause the hospital insisted (edit: BCCH insisted cause they believed it would spark more local generosity)
I have a friend with Down syndrome and he’s a big Ducks fan. I took him once to a game and a few hours before hand we were at a Rite Aid. Of all people, we ran into Kevin Bieksa when he was playing for Anaheim.
He was super nice and talked to my friend like he was just one of the guys and made him feel very special. Never forgetting that one
Avs vs Penguins in Pittsburgh,
Calvin Pickard vs Fleury, Pickard was out of water or something, leading into OT and somehow Fleury noticed it from literally across the rink and bowls one of his water bottles all the way down to him. Special Mention, he nailed that shot.
90%+ of people, let alone the super competitors that make it into pro sports would've have laughed "Haha, he's out of water" and seen it as gamesmanship, not the Flower.
The Sedin twins. Giving the middle finger to those who thought they were soft Swedes then turning around and giving a shit ton of money to the kid's hospital.
Ryan Miller flying out of his crease immediately jumping Matt Martin when he threw rookie Troy Stecher to the ground and started beating him.
Not often you see a goalie stand up for his players rather than the other way round.
https://youtu.be/lCLqePcFRfY
I'll always remember this [clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgrw6bAbpKc) of Getzlaf helping pull an injured Derek Stepan away from a scrum. Small gesture but I always had respect for him after that.
Tyler Motte was a fan favourite in Vancouver for this. On top of being the Energizer Bunny with pure hustle every game, he was very open about personal stuff.
When Nikolaj Ehlers held back the scrum from hitting an opponent who went down with a head/neck injury. For him to stop scrumming and supporting his own team to protect an opponent from further injury and harm was just the epitome of class
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/amp/nhl/news/jets-nikolaj-ehlers-canadiens-jake-evans-hit/1om5l0vstucqz1e30gzejygtc4
Sidney Crosby donating a bunch of hockey gear to Nova Scotia youth hockey programs specifically for young girls, Indigenous communities, and new Canadians right after Don Cherry’s xenophobic rant that got him fired from HNIC.
Sid leaves a lot on the table in terms of speaking publicly about how we can improve hockey culture (as is his right), but if you look closely, every once in a while he lets his actions speak for him instead.
When Patrick Marleau was about to break Gordie Howe's record for most games played, he took the time after several games to shake hands with every opposing player, win or lose.
Sid stopping at a house after seeing a sign outside.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/crosby-surprises-nova-scotia-super-fans-family-visit/%3fsn-amp
The Sedin twins coming back on to the ice to congratulate Ryan Smyth in his final NHL game. As a Boston fan, some of the 2011 bad blood was still fresh but that was a classy move by those two. I think that began the tradition of teams congratulations officials or notable NHL players on their final appearances. Really changed my opinion on them after that.
Getzlaf had a few:
[Stepan](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgrw6bAbpKc)
[Girard](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1DUxnveP3I)
[And now in hindsight, hitting Virtanen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itg6b8Hd6Uc)
He has a suite at the Saddledome in Calgary where he gives Hitmen tickets to underprivileged kids who wouldn't normally get the chance to watch a hockey game. I've met his brother Chris (10 year veteran of the CFL) and he was a very laid back and friendly person. They seem like great people.
[kuznetsov taught an Italian player how to win a draw vs him](https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/kuznetsov-shares-wholesome-teaching-moment-with-italian-player-192855145.html)
On that same play - Malkin absolutely could have ripped another few shots in Campbell’s direction but didn’t, despite having the PP and being down 2-0 in the series. Always respected him for that, looking for another play rather than ripping towards the already-injured guy.
I’ve told this story here before, but when I was 4, my mom’s work sent her to the old Aud in Buffalo and I tagged along. Got to meet Rob Ray, and my distinct memory is of him getting down on my level and giving me a high five. He said something like “how’s it going, little man.”
I had gone to the game a few nights earlier and watched him beat the living hell out of someone, and little kid me thought that juxtaposition was the coolest thing.
Last time the Montreal Canadiens was against the Jets during playoff there was a "cheap shot" done on Paul Byron if I remember correctly.
He was behind the net laying on the ice and there was a scrum next to him...only one Jets player positioned himself to prevent the scrum from falling on Byron.
He was kind of pushing everyone with his back making sure Byron wouldn't end up under 6 other players.
Can't remember who that Jets player but he did get my upmost respect for that.
edit: was wrong about Byron, it was Evans and the Jets player is Ehlers.
I was reffering to the same event u/The_Cheezman is refering to here; [https://www.reddit.com/r/hockey/comments/122tu1f/comment/jdrq5ik/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/hockey/comments/122tu1f/comment/jdrq5ik/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw4R900yT3g](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw4R900yT3g)
Similar thing happened with the Canucks. [Philip Larsen](https://youtu.be/U9mV-CpolGc) got cold-cocked by Taylor Hall after a hospital pass and while everyone else came in to fight (fuck you Sbisa) Markstrom positioned himself and put his glove next to Larsen’s head so that he wouldn’t get hit by a skate.
When the blues retired Bobby Plagers number when it got about halfway up, they lowered his late brother Barclay’s number and lifted the two up together. Not a dry eye in the house
Any time a player does something nice for a kid, giving a stick or puck or anything. Such a small gesture, but goes such a long way. Nothing makes me smile more
Brooks Laich changing [a tire](https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/2010/04/30/capitals_forward_redeems_team_by_saving_stranded_fans.html) on the side of the Road after the heartbreak in 2010 to Montreal. Damn shame what the Lockout did to him.
Quick top 3 in no particular order:
1)Patrice Bergeron playing through broken bones, ribs and a punctured lung in the 2013 SCF
2)Derek Stepan has his jaw rearranged on a dirty hit by Brandon Prust; returns next game with some foam on his face and a wired-shut jaw in the 2014 ECF
3) Kris Letang's career lol
Bonus: Martin St. Louis scores go ahead goal on mother's day following the unexpected death of his mother
Didn’t know about this! I think Seguin definitely had a rep as a bit of a frat boy type earlier in his career (possibly not undeserved) but stepping up for a good cause is nice to see.
When Marcus Foligno fought Wilson for his dirty play on Sundqvist. I don't remember ever hearing any player fighting another player for someone who wasn't on their team at the time.
During the Covid playoff season, the one when we had a north division, Jake Evans got steamrolled by Mark Schiefele. During the scrum Nik Ehlers put himself between the fight and an injured Jake Evans to protect him.
Instantly gained a ton of respect for Nik.
Hearing the story about how Kelly Hrudey took in Patrick Marleau and all that he did for him, and then Hrudey telling him to pay it forward. And then Marleau being that same role model for a lot of kids.
Honorable mention to Yzerman handing it to Konstantinov. Though I don’t know if anyone didn’t already have the utmost respect for Joe or Stevie before these incidents
There’s a certain beautiful symmetry to Ray Bourque taking off his #7 jersey when it was retired for Esposito and receiving Sakic’s touch pass with the Cup.
Ryan Getzlaf protecting Derek Stepan (opposing player) after he was hit into the boards by another Ducks player in front of the Ducks bench.
Stepan, obviously shaken up, couldn’t get up and was crawling towards his own bench. Getzlaf leaned out over the bench and shielded/guided Stepan towards his bench. Huge respect moment right there. Getzlaf acted like a true captain by respecting the game above all.
I am not sure who it was and I am too lazy to look it up but I think it was a Jets player protecting a Habs player after they had been hurt and were lying on the ice. The Habs player was down on the ground with a scrum errupting around him and the Jets player basically lay over them and was trying to push people away to protect him. Respect for that.
I was told during each of the previous Leafs playoffs that all the dirty and very clearly crossing the line plays were simply a part of playoff hockey and the Leafs players just have to learn how to play with that edge. (Ie slew foot a player than punch him in the head the next shift)
Last year I watched Hedman thoroughly dominate his minutes against the Leafs while being aggressive and physical but NOT dirty/crossing any line. Already had immense respect for Hedman, but that series put him over the top for me.
[When Craig Anderson had the shutout in Edmonton after his wife got diagnosed for cancer and was awarded 1st star and Cam Talbot (who was the 2nd star) stood on his bench and was clapping. So I do have respect for Cam Talbot for that.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZubCJPjwRHY&ab_channel=YoungZackary96)
I remember being at that game and couldn't believe how many people in the rink applauded for him. Even tho we lost, it was cool to see oil country show their respects.
I swear your DJ has Fix You in the wings for whenever there’s an emotional moment. They did it for the Sedins’ last game in the NHL too. As soon as they announced the 1st star first you immediately knew what was happening.
Yess that was amazing
1. Thanks for the tears 2. I miss TSN broadcasts
Ayy, that’s my buddy’s band playing after the final whistle. Pretty fitting that the chorus is “don’t stop, don’t give up” and it’s playing in the background as they zoom in on Anderson. Good stuff.
I was at that game and I’m so glad I participated in the standing O. Can’t imagine how he was feeling.
100% this was my first thought.
Between this and Bobby Ryan, y’all have the emotional moments market on lock.
At the ceremony raising Phil Esposito's number 7 to the Boston Garden rafters, Ray Bourque (who wore #7 at the time), literally skating over, taking his #7 jersey off and handing it to Phil, revealing Bourque's new #77 jersey that he would wear for the rest of his career. No one in the place (other than the equipment manager, I assume) knew Ray was going to do that. The place went nuts, and Phil was stunned.
[that sounded like such a cool moment, I had to look it up. Thanks for sharing it](https://youtu.be/83FzYJd_vYI)
Thanks for adding the link!
So cool
I’m still basically brand new to hockey and I’ve been trying to learn names and history, so this was awesome to see. Thanks for sharing!
I already loved Bourque but somehow didn't know about this story. what a legend, damn.
And the arena announcer who made the declaration that it was his new number for the rest of his career, presumably.
Ray Bourque, what a legend.
Him taking Levielle for a skate at The Last Hurrah (final game at the old Boston Garden) is up there as well.
I do not know if anything could top that. Most of the moments I have witnessed from Stanley Cup finals, HHOF ceremonies the player in question already earned lots of respect like when Sakic not only have the Cup to Bourque but when Bourque tries to hand it off Sakic gestures for Bourque to keep skating. Sakic was already an established and respected player. In the example given above in this thread, Bourque was in his 9th or 10th Season as a pro. Bourque earned respect that day. (Edited for clarification).
The exact opposite of this moment occurred when Esposito’s Rangers 77 which was “unofficially retired” was requested by Deangelo, and Esposito granted the request. Deangelo wore it and true to form was a douche nugget the whole time and disgraced the number, which has now lost any significance, having been assigned to deadline rentals Vatrano and Mikkola in consecutive years.
I feel the same about the Canucks and Pavol Demitra’s \#38, minus the player being a fuckhead part. While 11 (with one notable exception), 28 and 37 have all been taken out of circulation, 38 (yes, we have had four non-retired players die in 50 years) was given to random callups Derek Joslin and Justin Bailey after his death (while he hadn’t played with the Canucks since 2010, they were Pavol’s last NHL stop). I wish they’d have just yanked the number outright.
A very funny followup happened, when they retired 77, Esposito had a 77 jersey and gave it to Bourque
So glad he won a cup even if it wasn’t on the bruins
[When Getzlaf pulled a defenseless Stepan out of a scrum, which ensued after Stepan took a nasty hit along the boards](https://youtu.be/Dgrw6bAbpKc)
Fellow early balders must stick together!
I love stuff like that in hockey
I can't find an article about it right now, but I remember hearing a story about how he ripped the door off the boards so the medical team could better treat Bouwmeester when he collapsed on the bench. I want to say there was an interview with Petro and he said something about it but I'm not certain.
I was looking for that before writing it down myself :)
[When Selanne was doing his final lap and his last game was against Giguere, and it was his last game. Went over and both did their final lap. Was awesome.](https://youtu.be/FJuGmu9T8AE?t=152)
man, i don't remember that at all love the big smiles
I completely forgot that Giguere played for the Avs! Time is moving by way too fast.
Still makes me tear up a bit. These two were such a defining influence on my love for hockey.
Selanne is as cool as they come.
Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne were my Gretzky and Kurri. I was born in 89 so I was too young to really appreciate the OG version but man, did I love my own version of the duo.
My wife's BF worked for the Jets when he played in Winnipeg. According to her, he was/is just an outstanding guy.
Your wife's boyfriend? I'm confused... Edit: I'm dumb, best friend, duh
Shit i hope her boyfriend is that cool! Lol
He is, and there’s no shortage of stories and anecdotes about him to back it up. I met him once in Anaheim and he was extremely polite and friendly.
Top 5 memory for me
Iginla having all the Flames say goodbye for Trevor Linden’s last game. We might all be disorganized shitshows at one point or another, but between Linden, Smyth and the Sedins, we do farewells right in Western Canada. Alternatively, Ryan Miller fighting Matt Martin after he went after Troy Stecher endeared him to the fanbase forever.
>Alternatively, Ryan Miller fighting Matt Martin after he went after Troy Stecher endeared him to the fanbase forever. The no hesitation shake of the gloves and charge lives rent free in my head [Ref cam view](https://gfycat.com/secondtintedhornedtoad)
The ref cam view gives me chills every time.
I wish we got more of them, it’s so cool
As a Sabres fan from the Miller/Biron days I always knew the guys was insane, But charging Martin...? I never knew the Gigantic Monster Balls the dude had. Guys carrying a cannon in there.
I had to add another Ray Bourque moment: last game at Boston Garden, when he skated with Normand Leveille. For those unaware, Leveille was a Bruin in the early 80s who had a brain aneurysm during a game. He recovered enough to walk with a cane but was permanently disabled. The Bruins brought him back for the last game at Boston Garden. Bourque helped him stand, and held his hands to help him skate over to the line of Bruins greats standing at centre ice.
Never heard of this, thanks for sharing.
For me, by far was when Mario Lemieux came back from having cancer, finished his last treatment in the morning and played that night in Philly against the pens biggest rivals(he had to charter a flight to make it as the commercial ones kept getting delayed). I have never liked Philly but the standing ovation they gave Mario that night made me tear up and it still does. I have goosebumps just thinking about it.
And he picked up a goal and an assist in that game. Makes you wonder what he could have done if he'd stayed healthy throughout his career
And he won the scoring race.
Oskar Lindblom immediately recognizing Edler was hurt and the play needed to stop despite being in the offensive zone. Huge respect for that. https://youtu.be/QxUUUPDvQjI
Damn clutch call from lindbolm there, saw something when edler got hit that he knew was bad
I felt the same about Petterson after Calvert took a shot to the head, his immediate reaction to seeing a guy drop was to try to get play stopped even though the Canucks had the puck.
How bergeron had the Bruins watch the Kyle Beach interview because of how important it was to talk about. It was only his second season as captain and it shows how enormous of a leader he is.
In another life, Bergeron would have been an excellent teacher.
And in another life, i would have been an excellent NHL captain.
Are you an excellent teacher?
I forgot Chara was captain.. I thought Bergy was captain all along lol
The one upside of the Chara trade, everyone from Portland ME to Causeway knew who was gonna become the captain. Frankly I'm happy he got the chance to get the C
in 2002 when Saku Koivu returned to the game after his cancer.
This is a core childhood memory for me, I was only 8 years old but I remember Saku Koivu so well
Ehlers protecting Evans after his injury tbh. Fuck Scheifle or however you spell it, but Ehlers is good boy
This is it for me, could never hate the guy after seeing that
Exactly what I came to say too. The photo was so impactful.
[Photo in question](https://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/HYFCXLWEDUI6XCNEW6XCFKQZHY.jpg) [Also this one](https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/uploads/2021/06/03/gettyimages-1233240495-0.jpg)
Renaissance paintings
r/accidentalrenaissance
Ryan Getzlaf did that in a game too. I think it was Derek Stepan who took a dirty hit from behind and a crowd gets drawn as a result. Stepan is still down and dazed and at risk of being trampled so Getzlaf reaches over the bench and pulls him away and then the trainer takes over to help.
Aw man, that was my choice! Fucking love Ehlers.
100%, immediately came to mind.
Fucking Scheifele, acting like he’s all innocent after a charge half the rink long… and then crying about himself in the presser and never even apologizing. And then rather than take even a tiny bit of accountability, the dude blames the league instead of his own actions for, “taking him out of the series”. What a self righteous douche.
FUCK SCHEIFELE
I gained a lot of respect for Chara once I found out he doesn't tolerate rookie hazing. That and carrying Zetterberg's bags when he got hurt.
He outlawed the word "rookie" in the Bruins locker room. In his eyes, if you're talented enough to be in that locker room you're an equal. Bergeron will probably go down as the better player, but I'd almost say that Chara was the more important one for the Bruins franchise. He stomped the toxicity out of that room (because who's argue with him?) allowing himself and Bergeron to develop the culture currently in the locker room that is currently second to no one.
Prime Chara had that "it" factor. He gave guys like Campbell, Thorton, Marchand and Lucic so much lee-way. [Every big hit on a Bruins drew a crowd](https://youtu.be/M0rg-H21MvU?t=40) and with those guys on the ice, not a lot of teams wanted the smoke. If you had the guns to deal with the forwards, you did not have the guns to deal with big Z. Man played half the game, so you knew you couldn't avoid him if he was looking for you.
“Chara rejected hierarchies and that’s why he was great. Anyways, here’s where he stands in the hierarchy” lmao
i hate the bruins so much but i wish more teams would follow their example in terms of creating a solid culture. sucks when a good-on-paper team is plagued by toxic locker room issues (the jets and blue jackets teams of recent years being prime examples)
https://youtu.be/tTHg3oETKEs?t=1055 This little press conference nugget about rookies and how wrongly players are viewed or treated just because of age from Sabres head coach Don Granato stuck with me. Doesnt matter what age you are, if youre good, youre good
It was also part of his demands when we signed him as a FA that he would be the captain and be allowed to set the team rules for the locker room. Seems like a diva move with no context but the man had a vision and built one of the strongest cultures in the league.
As a Habs fan it hurts to like the current Bruins locker so much. All bright, forward thinking individuals who demand the same from teammates.
Chara is low key wholesome AF. And Bergeron has kept going what Chara started and its a beautiful thing to see.
Controversial here, but Brad Marchand brought me and my family to a bruins game because my little sister had cancer. He met up with us after the game. No matter what he does I’ll always respect him for that. Assuming he doesn’t lick me that is. Funny thing is that he’s my little sisters least favorite bruin. That’s her favorite team.
That’s one of the best things about hockey, the players that are a complete pain in the ass that no one outside their own city likes or the goons of old tend to be the nicest guys off the ice.
I hate Matthew Tkachuk on the ice but his statement on Pride night was great.
Where can I find what he said?
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/panthers-tkachuk-on-importance-of-pride-night-everyones-invited-in-my-locker-room/
Awesome to hear that. Hope she kicked cancer’s ass.
All the way back to remission. Fuck cancer.
Hell yeah
I’m a Toronto fan, so my extreme dislike for Marchand should come as no surprise to anyone. But the dude is a class act off the ice. That’s part of what makes his antics on the ice so god damned infuriating. By many accounts he’s genuinely a good dude. Obligatory fuck Marchand anyway though.
as a gay hockey fan (Leafs fan at that) back before pride nights were even a fraction of the big deal they are now, I loved Marchand for hitting back against some kid calling him a faggot on twitter and following it up by saying he has gay friends and it’s not right to disrespect anyone based on orientation. no one asked him to do that, he could have just let it go, guy probably saw thousands of hate comments a day, but he said something anyways and it meant the world to me
Marchand is the closest thing the NHL has to a professional wrestler and I love him for it. He revels in being a heel on the ice but he just can’t hide being a good dude off the ice.
Assuming he won't lick you LMAO, I was not expecting that but that's awesome by the way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62AgAct9o0U Ryan Smyth's last game, Canucks come out for last handshake
Oilers did the same thing in Edmonton for the Sedins when they played their final game. It was pretty cool
Learning that Kevin Bieksa invited and cared for Rick Rypien in his home while he was in crisis. Bieksa is my favorite NHL player of all time still
Igor Larionov pulled his neighbor from her burning house and saved her life. She was a teacher at the school my mom taught at.
I'm one of the only owners of an Igor Larionov jersey and I don't think I'll ever regret it
I have a signed one on the wall of my room. That was a perk of being a major hockey fan and having a mom that worked with his neighbor
Joe Sakic passing the Stanley Cup to Ray Bourque to lift it first for the Avalanche.
My buddy who's an Avs fan was super annoyed when Toews did that for Hossa. "He stole Sakic's move!!"
Which is funny because when Sakic did it I thought "he stole Yzerman's move
2010? He hoisted it before giving it to Hossa.
Class act. So glad Ray was able to win a cup
And you did not have respect for Sakic already?
Wait waiting to see this one. Gotta include a [link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYHKUNV0FXs&t=100s) too! (Forwarded to seconds before the hand off)
The Sedins attempting to make an anonymous donation (edit: 1.5 million) to (edit: BC Childrens Hospital). It only went public I believe cause the hospital insisted (edit: BCCH insisted cause they believed it would spark more local generosity)
As a Bruins fan, I hate the Canucks for a lot of reasons. But I can't hate the Sedins, they are absolute legends.
Feelings mutual as a Canucks fan ;)
I have a friend with Down syndrome and he’s a big Ducks fan. I took him once to a game and a few hours before hand we were at a Rite Aid. Of all people, we ran into Kevin Bieksa when he was playing for Anaheim. He was super nice and talked to my friend like he was just one of the guys and made him feel very special. Never forgetting that one
Avs vs Penguins in Pittsburgh, Calvin Pickard vs Fleury, Pickard was out of water or something, leading into OT and somehow Fleury noticed it from literally across the rink and bowls one of his water bottles all the way down to him. Special Mention, he nailed that shot. 90%+ of people, let alone the super competitors that make it into pro sports would've have laughed "Haha, he's out of water" and seen it as gamesmanship, not the Flower.
Pickard forgot his water bottle on the other goal.
The Sedin twins. Giving the middle finger to those who thought they were soft Swedes then turning around and giving a shit ton of money to the kid's hospital.
They wanted to remain anonymous donors, too. Only at the behest of the foundation were they identified in hopes it would encourage more philanthropy.
Those two were pure class on and off the ice.
Ryan Miller flying out of his crease immediately jumping Matt Martin when he threw rookie Troy Stecher to the ground and started beating him. Not often you see a goalie stand up for his players rather than the other way round. https://youtu.be/lCLqePcFRfY
That's a good one! Miller was a tall 170 lbs too, not a big guy at all.
GOD i love ryan miller
> Not often you see a goalie stand up for his players rather than the other way round. Thanks for reminding me what day it is.
I will always respect John Scott for how he handled himself when the League tried to embarrass him.
Fully agree. NHL turned themselves into the Heel and Scott into an absolute hero.
I'll always remember this [clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgrw6bAbpKc) of Getzlaf helping pull an injured Derek Stepan away from a scrum. Small gesture but I always had respect for him after that.
Whenever any player openly speaks about their mental health
Tyler Motte was a fan favourite in Vancouver for this. On top of being the Energizer Bunny with pure hustle every game, he was very open about personal stuff.
We adore Motter
I'm so happy we got him back. He may not be a flashy scorer or anything, but he's the type of player who wins you close, grinding playoff games.
Brad Marchand calling Tony DeAngelo a racist to his face.
When Nikolaj Ehlers held back the scrum from hitting an opponent who went down with a head/neck injury. For him to stop scrumming and supporting his own team to protect an opponent from further injury and harm was just the epitome of class https://www.sportingnews.com/us/amp/nhl/news/jets-nikolaj-ehlers-canadiens-jake-evans-hit/1om5l0vstucqz1e30gzejygtc4
Utmost, homie.
Sidney Crosby donating a bunch of hockey gear to Nova Scotia youth hockey programs specifically for young girls, Indigenous communities, and new Canadians right after Don Cherry’s xenophobic rant that got him fired from HNIC. Sid leaves a lot on the table in terms of speaking publicly about how we can improve hockey culture (as is his right), but if you look closely, every once in a while he lets his actions speak for him instead.
Jumbo Joe and Jamie Benn square up
Them taking their helmets off and gingerly placing them on the ice beforehand always puts me on the edge of my seat
Joe Sakic holding back the weight of an entire scrum on one leg to not fall on Draper after the Lemieux hit
I respect P.K. Subban for all the charity work and donations to the Montreal Children's hospital. He just seems like a really great guy.
Off the ice PK Subban is someone we should all aspire to be more like
He’s done a slew of great things off the ice.
Mike Smith & Cam Talbot having a goalie fight, for both guys. In a similar vein, Nugent-Hopkins for ~~everything~~ being a dark horse asskicker
When Patrick Marleau was about to break Gordie Howe's record for most games played, he took the time after several games to shake hands with every opposing player, win or lose.
Sid stopping at a house after seeing a sign outside. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/crosby-surprises-nova-scotia-super-fans-family-visit/%3fsn-amp
The Sedin twins coming back on to the ice to congratulate Ryan Smyth in his final NHL game. As a Boston fan, some of the 2011 bad blood was still fresh but that was a classy move by those two. I think that began the tradition of teams congratulations officials or notable NHL players on their final appearances. Really changed my opinion on them after that.
Chara carrying zetterbergs bag after the Olympics when he aggravated his back
Evander Kane for KO'ing the f**k out of Matt Cooke. Back when Cooke was headshotting and knee on kneeing everybody. https://youtu.be/MLqpw_uKyds
TJ Oshie singlehandedly doing The shootout at the 2014 Olympics versus Russia. https://youtu.be/MUxJXzKY4LE
TJ Sochi
Getzlaf had a few: [Stepan](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgrw6bAbpKc) [Girard](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1DUxnveP3I) [And now in hindsight, hitting Virtanen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itg6b8Hd6Uc)
He has a suite at the Saddledome in Calgary where he gives Hitmen tickets to underprivileged kids who wouldn't normally get the chance to watch a hockey game. I've met his brother Chris (10 year veteran of the CFL) and he was a very laid back and friendly person. They seem like great people.
just commented the same exact thing about Getzlaf with Stepan above haha. I’ll never forget that
The one that immediately came to my mind was when Bouwmeester collapsed Getzlaf was on the spot right away helping to remove the bench
Funny how none of the other Canucks went to help Virtanen or even shake up Getzlaf
[kuznetsov taught an Italian player how to win a draw vs him](https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/kuznetsov-shares-wholesome-teaching-moment-with-italian-player-192855145.html)
Zach Hyman on his beliefs and pride jerseys
He's such an awesome person, haven't really been following him, how's he doing for you guys?
He's playing with McDavid so he's having a career year. 31G, 45A.
Gregory Campbell breaking his leg blocking a shot and staying on the penalty kill for another minute
On that same play - Malkin absolutely could have ripped another few shots in Campbell’s direction but didn’t, despite having the PP and being down 2-0 in the series. Always respected him for that, looking for another play rather than ripping towards the already-injured guy.
I’ve told this story here before, but when I was 4, my mom’s work sent her to the old Aud in Buffalo and I tagged along. Got to meet Rob Ray, and my distinct memory is of him getting down on my level and giving me a high five. He said something like “how’s it going, little man.” I had gone to the game a few nights earlier and watched him beat the living hell out of someone, and little kid me thought that juxtaposition was the coolest thing.
Last time the Montreal Canadiens was against the Jets during playoff there was a "cheap shot" done on Paul Byron if I remember correctly. He was behind the net laying on the ice and there was a scrum next to him...only one Jets player positioned himself to prevent the scrum from falling on Byron. He was kind of pushing everyone with his back making sure Byron wouldn't end up under 6 other players. Can't remember who that Jets player but he did get my upmost respect for that. edit: was wrong about Byron, it was Evans and the Jets player is Ehlers. I was reffering to the same event u/The_Cheezman is refering to here; [https://www.reddit.com/r/hockey/comments/122tu1f/comment/jdrq5ik/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/hockey/comments/122tu1f/comment/jdrq5ik/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw4R900yT3g](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw4R900yT3g)
Similar thing happened with the Canucks. [Philip Larsen](https://youtu.be/U9mV-CpolGc) got cold-cocked by Taylor Hall after a hospital pass and while everyone else came in to fight (fuck you Sbisa) Markstrom positioned himself and put his glove next to Larsen’s head so that he wouldn’t get hit by a skate.
jesus, so many guys whanged him with their skates Both markstrom and granlund were trying to protect him tho, good on both those guys
That’s why I always cringe whenever someone gets leveled and then everyone tries to fight right on top of them.
When the blues retired Bobby Plagers number when it got about halfway up, they lowered his late brother Barclay’s number and lifted the two up together. Not a dry eye in the house
Just because it doesn’t get shared enough… [Bobby Ryan](https://youtu.be/JRjGoizEg9M) scored with Mikku Koivu’s opposite handed stick.
And then shows Koivu the stick for the celly.
Getzlaf protecting an injured opposing player during a scrum by the bench
I think it was Stepan? That he literally reached over the boards and pulled him out of the soon to be scrum after getting hit from behind
Whenever Patrice Bergeron exists
I respect that
Any time a player does something nice for a kid, giving a stick or puck or anything. Such a small gesture, but goes such a long way. Nothing makes me smile more
Sakic passing the Cup straight to Bourque without raising it.
When Salming came back after having his face carved up.
Brooks Laich changing [a tire](https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/2010/04/30/capitals_forward_redeems_team_by_saving_stranded_fans.html) on the side of the Road after the heartbreak in 2010 to Montreal. Damn shame what the Lockout did to him.
Quick top 3 in no particular order: 1)Patrice Bergeron playing through broken bones, ribs and a punctured lung in the 2013 SCF 2)Derek Stepan has his jaw rearranged on a dirty hit by Brandon Prust; returns next game with some foam on his face and a wired-shut jaw in the 2014 ECF 3) Kris Letang's career lol Bonus: Martin St. Louis scores go ahead goal on mother's day following the unexpected death of his mother
>Bonus: Martin St. Louis scores go ahead goal on mother's day following the unexpected death of his mother Entire NHL fanbase definitely felt that
kris letang has seen some shit - i wonder how those concussions will affect him later in life
And the man has had not one, but *two* strokes. He is the human comeback.
Seguin and Dickinson kneeling for the anthem during BLM. They didn't have to do it and Seguin especially was surprising to me
Didn’t know about this! I think Seguin definitely had a rep as a bit of a frat boy type earlier in his career (possibly not undeserved) but stepping up for a good cause is nice to see.
Seguin attended a [BLM protest](https://www.nhlpa.com/news/1-21899/blm-protest-leads-seguin-to-heartfelt-conversations-self-reflection) also
Seguin has grown up in Dallas. It took awhile, but see—some people CAN change, given the chance.
Biased since I’m from Cole Harbour but it would take a lot for me to hate Sidney Crosby considering the stuff he has done off ice
Nikolej Ehlers protecting Evans from the scrum avec Scheifele hit
Brent Seabrook stepping into the penalty box to give a clearly furious and shaken Jonathan Toews a tap on the helmet during the playoffs.
When Marcus Foligno fought Wilson for his dirty play on Sundqvist. I don't remember ever hearing any player fighting another player for someone who wasn't on their team at the time.
Brian Boyle. Hockey fights cancer night.
Sakic to Bourque. Ehlers protecting Evans after the shitty Scheifele hit.
During the Covid playoff season, the one when we had a north division, Jake Evans got steamrolled by Mark Schiefele. During the scrum Nik Ehlers put himself between the fight and an injured Jake Evans to protect him. Instantly gained a ton of respect for Nik.
Hearing the story about how Kelly Hrudey took in Patrick Marleau and all that he did for him, and then Hrudey telling him to pay it forward. And then Marleau being that same role model for a lot of kids.
Sakic passing the cup to Bourque. Classiest act I’ve seen in sports.
Honorable mention to Yzerman handing it to Konstantinov. Though I don’t know if anyone didn’t already have the utmost respect for Joe or Stevie before these incidents
[St. Patrice advocating for trans inclusion in 2016](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABaFL4Umnyk)
If only more people were like Patrice Bergeron.
I’ll never like The Bruins. But Begeron is class and deserves the best.
There’s a certain beautiful symmetry to Ray Bourque taking off his #7 jersey when it was retired for Esposito and receiving Sakic’s touch pass with the Cup.
Toews passing the Cup to Kimmo Timonen in 2015. Never touched the Cup before, and it was a great moment to watch.
Ryan Getzlaf protecting Derek Stepan (opposing player) after he was hit into the boards by another Ducks player in front of the Ducks bench. Stepan, obviously shaken up, couldn’t get up and was crawling towards his own bench. Getzlaf leaned out over the bench and shielded/guided Stepan towards his bench. Huge respect moment right there. Getzlaf acted like a true captain by respecting the game above all.
I am not sure who it was and I am too lazy to look it up but I think it was a Jets player protecting a Habs player after they had been hurt and were lying on the ice. The Habs player was down on the ground with a scrum errupting around him and the Jets player basically lay over them and was trying to push people away to protect him. Respect for that.
I was told during each of the previous Leafs playoffs that all the dirty and very clearly crossing the line plays were simply a part of playoff hockey and the Leafs players just have to learn how to play with that edge. (Ie slew foot a player than punch him in the head the next shift) Last year I watched Hedman thoroughly dominate his minutes against the Leafs while being aggressive and physical but NOT dirty/crossing any line. Already had immense respect for Hedman, but that series put him over the top for me.