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Reading Neate Sager's piece how some took to twitter to lob racial insults at Canadian goalie Malclom Subban after Canada was defeated by Team USA 5-1 in the World Under-20 Championships.
As it is there is a large segment of Canadian hockey fans who react badly when one of the teams lose in a big tournament game like this. What is more disappointing in looking at the twitter feeds that Sager posted is that most if not all are young white males in the age bracket of those playing in the Under-20s.
Almost 24 hours after the fact of those 13 tweeters that Sager cited; 11 still had the tweet still posted, 1 appears to have closed his twitter account and 1 removed the offensive tweet.
And before any Ranger or other Americans jump on their high horses; there are a very large group of Americans who are equally as guilty of using social media to post racially charged remarks of their own.
The recent Presidential election was full of remarks that are equally bad. It is strange but those are the same people who deny that they are racist in any way. It is not your words that will prove that you aren't racist but rather your actions.
The saddest use of social media I have seen comes with the disclaimer that "I am just blowing off steam" when posting really offensive remarks towards athletes. I guess I wasn't aware of the rule that says social media makes things OK for a person to trash a person with offensive posts.
In examining my own behavior I too have been guilty of using social behavior to trash players, coaches and my favorite target Gary Bettman. I tend to make smartass remarks about those folks but a case can be made that I too have to change my own behavior.
Maybe this is a good time for all of us to look at our own behaviors and stop hiding behind the internet to trash others. It makes us all look bad.
Game Action
Just 3 games on the schedule for Thursday involving New York Ranger and New York Islander prospects. It is also the trading period for the 3 CHL leagues as many either prepare for a playoff run or start a rebuild for next season.
The Edmonton Oil Kings are trying to defend their WHL Championship and after a sluggish start have found their game as they lead the WHL's Eastern Conference. On Thursday they visited the Lethbridge Hurricanes who are currently in 5th place.
While the Hurricanes at times had the better of the play, the Oil Kings earned a 4-0 win in large part because of their goalie Laurent Brossoit who turned away 45 shots for the win. Michael St. Croix (NYR 2011 4th) was scoreless but a +2 on the night.
Samuel Noreau (NYR 2011 5th) had a secondary assist on the game's 1st goal as his Baie-Comeau Drakkar earned their 4th straight win; a 5-4 shootout win over the Rimouski Oceanic.
The Drakkar scored with 1 second remaining in regulation to force overtime pulled to within 2 points of the Oceanic who lead their division and have the 2nd best record in the QMJHL. The Drakkar now have the 3rd best record and are 4th overall in the QMJHL.
Noreau with his secondary assist improves to 6-16-22 on a 0-1-1, -1, 2 shots night.
The OHL's Eastern Conference leaders, the Barrie Colts paid the Niagara IceDogs a visit while the IceDogs were missing their 3 top players who are away at the World Under-20 Championships. Mitchell Theoret (2011 7th) and Jesse Graham (2012 6th) were in the lineup for Niagara but were not enough.
Barrie taking advantage of their power play opportunities earned a 4-1 win to increase their lead over the IceDogs to 5 points. Neither Islander prospect made the scoreboard but Graham was a -2 and had a -2.
Going for Gold
I will be the first to admit that I was not a fan of J.T. Miller player for Team USA in this tournament as I did not see what the Rangers gained from allowing Miller to play. Most NHL teams won't release their players to the Under-20 tournament out of fear of injury.
But now I can see why the Rangers sent Miller to play for Team USA; it was partly to give Miller a shot of confidence in his game. But the biggest reason I can see is that it went a long way in silencing Miller's critics.
Miller can play and if you doubt it then you have not been watching Miller play. Miller is 2-6-8 and has improved with each passing game.
Good for him and a stick tap to the Rangers who made a strang case for their 2011 1st rounder.
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