Updated: January 9, 2012, 1:51 PM ET
[h2]Bruins GM defends Brad Marchand[/h2]
By Joe McDonald
ESPNBoston.com
http://search.espn.go.com/joe-mcdonald/
BOSTON --
Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli took exception to the abrasive comments made by
Vancouver Canucks coach Alain Vigneault and GM Mike Gillis about Bruins forward
Brad Marchand for his hit on Canucks defenseman
Sami Salo.
After the Bruins' 4-3 loss to the Canucks in their Stanley Cup finals rematch Saturday, Bruins coach Claude Julien said Marchand was protecting himself when he hit Salo, a remark that enraged the Canucks.
"That's a stupid comment," Vigneault said from Sunrise, Fla., according to The Province, a British Columbia newspaper. "What Marchand did there, you could end a player's career doing that and I've never seen Sami Salo take a run at any player in the NHL. All I've seen Sami Salo do is play with integrity and play the right way.
"Marchand -- this is just my feeling on this -- someday he's going to get it. Somebody is going to say enough is enough and they're going to hurt the kid, because he plays to hurt players, and in my mind if the league doesn't take care of it, somebody else will."
Chiarelli was angered by the latter remark, saying, "I think we've learned our lesson over time that that's a real inappropriate comment. That's a real inappropriate comment and it's an unprofessional comment. There's a carryover effect from the playoffs; it's a big game, it's a hyped-up game, and there's a lot of probably pent-up emotion that goes behind that comment. Having said all that, they shouldn't say stuff like that."
Marchand and Chiarelli had a disciplinary hearing via conference call with NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan on Monday afternoon.
"It's not normally my style to respond in the media to stuff like that, especially when there's a hearing coming up," Chiarelli said. "I would like to respond in the spirit of protecting our player. The comments made about our player, I don't like that. Brad does play on the edge, but he's no dirtier than two or three of their players."
He added: "I just feel the need to respond. Whether it's from coaches, GMs, or players, I don't like to hear that kind of stuff. There's a lobbying element to it. I feel the league does a real good job in these hearings and I don't think it's necessary to have that out there."
Julien said the Bruins are not going to alter their style of play.
"Somehow the Bruins happen to be the team that people prefer picking on and think we're the bruisers and the example of the league," he said. "We have to live with that, but the one thing we won't do is change our style of play. Our team is built that way. I think we play pretty entertaining hockey. We're a fast team, we're a skilled team, but we're also a physical team. We're Stanley Cup champions, so I don't see why we should change."
this is getting good
