By Evan F. Moore
©2016, The Shadow League
brash, cocky and exuberant.
In terms of tradition and winning championships, the Montreal Canadiens are the only North-American sports team that can rival the New York Yankees.
When a franchise has been around as long as Montreal, one of the NHL’s original teams, they tend to gravitate toward a certain type of player to represent their brand. A gritty, team-first guy who doesn’t attract attention to himself or the team.
Never call out the coach.
Never call out a teammate.
Be the boy next door who made good.
P.K. Subban is none of those things.
Subban is brash, cocky, exuberant, stares down opponents, and has a personality.
All of the things hockey culture frowns upon.
Hockey culture in Canada has historically had a tough time figuring out how to deal with American and Russian players, along with Black players.
Subban’s game, or possibly his race, most likely scared the s–t out a lot of old-school hockey fans. In his time in Montreal, phrases used to describe him included, “He doesn’t play the game the right way,” “Too flashy,” and my favorite “That kid has no respect for the game.”
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This story originally appeared on TheShadowLeague.com, a site dedicated to journalistically sound sports coverage with a cultural perspective that insightfully informs sports fans worldwide.
