Or maybe he puts the biscuit in the basket? Two minutes for roughing? I don't know, there must be some hockey term that is relevant here, but I can't quite find the right one. I had been wondering what famous hockey players thought of the Canadian seal hunt, and finally I have some information:
Former hockey superstar Peter Stastny, one of Canada's few allies in a historic European Parliament vote Tuesday to ban seal product imports, says it is a shame that Europeans aren't listening to the poor Canadian sealers.
On the anti-sealing lobby: "these people have millions of dollars," Stastny told Canwest News Service Monday. "And they are misleading people by telling them only one side of the story, and people just don't have the time to learn the facts."
Stastny's complaint reflects his sympathy and affection for Canadian sealers that dates back to his playing days with the Quebec Nordiques.
"They're like hockey players, the nicest people in the world, good hearted, generous, and friendly," he said. "All they're trying to do is make an extra buck to help their families and their communities."
Stastny said the animal rights lobbyists, who were declaring victory Monday in anticipation of Tuesday's vote, have proven to be a formidable rival as he has tried to convince colleagues to show some sympathy for Canadian sealers.
Stastny compared the anti-sealing campaign to the powerful New York Islanders of the early 1980s, when Stastny was a dazzling playmaker just starting his Hall of Fame career with Quebec.
"The Islanders were very, very tough, almost unbeatable, but you knew who they were, what to expect, and they played by the rules," said Stastny, 52, a dual Canadian-Slovak citizen who represents Slovakia in the 785-seat European Parliament.
For what it's worth, the Edmonton Oilers eventually brought down the Islanders' dynasty. I'm not sure how that fits in with his analogy, though. I'll certainly report more on this if Wayne Gretzky or Mark Messier go public with their views on sealing.
