Famous Canadian Called for Protests During NHL Game

Raffi.

That's who called for a silent protest during a game last week.

Raffi (last name Cavoukian) called for everyone to mute Don Cherry during the first intermission of the Canucks/Maple Leafs game last Saturday night. Cherry is a famous hockey sports persona who has a very brash demeanor on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada.

Raffi said he hopes people tuned out Cherry's segment during the Leafs-Canucks tilt as a statement to try to stop the current rash of concussions and eliminate fighting from the game.

"He was a colourful guy, he was a great coach — there's much to say about what he gave the game," Raffi told The Vancouver Sun. "But today you got head concussions, you got fights that the referees* don't even step in to [break up]."

Word of the protest was spread by Raffi via Twitter. He concedes he’s having fun with the campaign, but that there is also a real need to enlighten hockey commentary like Cherry’s and set a better example for the children.

"Do we have a responsibility to set a good example from our kids?" Raffi asked. "His professional style is loud, dismissive, bordering on boorish - this is not the way to be in public."

Raffi is a hockey fan (actually a Canucks fan to be exact). But he is concerned about the amount of violence in the game and doesn't like how Cherry uses an "outdoor voice".

The Canucks won the game 5-3. Here's a recap.


Link to video

Here's the irony. The game Raffi ended up choosing to funnel his message for less brutality turned out to be one of the cleanest games you will ever see in the NHL. Each team only had one powerplay apiece, both in the first period with coincidental penalties occuring in the second. There were no penalties called in the third. Was this fate or Raffi-influence?

The penalty summary:

1st Period
03:17 VAN Keith Ballard : Holding - 2 min
12:57 TOR Keith Aulie : Boarding - 2 min

2nd Period
05:43 TOR Tim Connolly : Roughing - 2 min
05:43 VAN Dale Weise : Roughing - 2 min

3rd Period
NONE

Yep. A penalty to Vancouver. A penalty to Toronto. Then coincidental penalties. That sounds like maybe an average period in the NHL, not the entire game.

There were no fights. Some roughing, but no fights. No concussions. And both teams shoke their sillies out during the third period (possibly not true). But in seriousness, the number of penalties during this game was ridiculously low.

Let's compare this 4 total penalties night against the other games in the NHL that night, Saturday December 17:

NJD @ MTL - 9 penalties by both teams combined
BUF @ PIT - 7 penalties combined
ANA @ WPG - 10 total
LAK @ DET - 7
TBL @ CLB - 8
STL @ NSH - 7 (including one in OT)
NYR @ PHX - 10
WSH @ COL - 8
EDM @ SJS - 8

In the Boston/Philadelphia game there were 26 penalties. 14 in the first period alone! They were naughty. Some were so naughty (Lucic), that Mr. Shanahan had to suspend them. Doubt they used a banana phone for the conference call to discuss the issue.

But the Raffi game of Toronto versus Vancouver wasn't the least penalized game of the night. The New York Islanders were on the road and played in a game where only 3 penalties were committed by both teams, all in the second period. The home team that hosted such a disciplined game?

The Wild.

Not so wild in Minnesota that night with regards to breaking rules.

I'm a little shocked to find out that Raffi is a hockey fan (who knew?), but not at all surprised he isn't keen on fighting. Or yelling by commentators.

He's Raffi.

If I'm at a game and a fight breaks out, I'm going to get up and yell. If they guy next to me is Raffi screaming "Kick him down by the bay!", I will give up on all hope for humanity. Not just on hockey. Not just on sports. But on all of humanity.

*Merry Christmas everyone! You too Raffi. As a special holiday treat for you sir, I won't correct you by pointing out that referees never break up fights in hockey. Linesmen do.

Play us out Raffi! (said with my indoor voice)