Zdeno Chara makes scathing allegations about Canucks during 2011 Stanley Cup Final

[fivethej]

I don't believe a word of this

 

Nathan Horton faking being injured
Aaron Rome receiving a lengthy suspension was total BS
B's receiving special treatment from Colin Campbell because his boy was on the team
Brad Marchand holding up his ring finger every time B's return to Vancouver
Marchand assaulting Sedins and refs allowed it
Mason Raymond suffering a serious spine injury and there was no suspension

 

 

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/chara-bruins-canucks-scathing-allegations-2011-stanley-cup

 

Quote

Now retired, former Bruins captain Zdeno Chara revisited the heated series in an interview with Julian Edelman and Sam Morril on the Games with Names podcast.

 

And let’s just say he had some scathing allegations concerning the 2011 Canucks. Among them was a claim that Canucks players began practising how they would celebrate winning the Stanley Cup, after winning the first two games in Vancouver. The Canucks were blown out of the next two games, losing by a combined score of 12-1. The Canucks went on to win Game 5 in Vancouver 1-0, before losing Game 6 in Boston 5-2, and Game 7 at home by a score of 4-0. “After losing two games in Vancouver, we saw players from Vancouver coming on the ice in the Garden, and they were actually practising how they would be lifting the Cup and handing off the Cup to each other,” Chara said. “And we found out about these things and we were like ‘f**k this, we are not going to allow this to happen.’ It just fuelled us.”

 

But wait, there’s more. “We heard about a few things. There were some rumours that they called the league and they were asking, I believe it was after… I don’t know what game it was… they were calling the league and asking how many people or family members they can take on the ice after they win the championship,” Chara added. “We found out about these things… For us that was a huge huge motivation.” It’s unclear who actually saw Canucks players pretending to hand the Cup to each other, as Chara initially said “we saw” it, before later saying “we found out about” it. Practices are open to the media, and there were no reports of such acts happening at the time.

 

Though, to be fair, that talk was prevalent among fans and media at the time. Chara called his second claim a “rumour” and also couldn’t remember after which game the question was asked. It would have been a reasonable ask by the Canucks after Game 5, and if true, you have to wonder who leaked the information. Openly pretending to lift the Stanley Cup would be highly unusual behaviour for notoriously superstitious hockey players, even for a team up 3-0 in a series — never mind the situation the Canucks found themselves in, only up 2-0.

 

What’s undeniable about the Canucks-Bruins rivalry was how much each side hated the other. Chara stopped short of calling Vancouver players “cocky,” but he clearly wasn’t fond of them.

 

Asked if the Canucks were a “dirty” team, Chara struggled to find the right words. “I wouldn’t say dirty, they were just like maybe a little bit too, how should I say, maybe cocky is not the right word, but they were having a chip on their shoulders,” said Chara. “They had some players that had some reputation of being role players and agitators, and not really backing up the way they played. But they were good players, it was like they did some stuff that really really fuelled us.”

 

Ryan Kesler spoke candidly about the 2011 loss in a Sportsnet 650 interview three years ago, during his final NHL season. He, like many others, took the loss hard. “After that 2011 year, it affects you mentally, it affects you personally. I remember coming to the rink the next year and walking into [Rogers Arena] and all the memories just come back to you. It was hard walking into that arena because every time you stepped in, I always get that Game 7 loss back into my head.”

 

“I took it really hard. It was something I’ll never forget.”

 

Edited December 9, 2022 by fivethej

[Crabcakes]

I said this on twitter.....

 

As if a team who would not touch the Campbell Bowl when winning the West, would do something like this to jinx their cup run.  It's a preposterous suggestion

[Miss Korea Bob.Loblaw]

 

Kevin Bieksa is vehemently denying the pre-celebration ever happened.  I suspect Chara overheard a rumour and used it to amp up his team, and after so long his facts are getting a bit blurry.  Memory is a funky thing.  I will give him the benefit of the doubt.

[King Heffy]

Chara once again proving why he is one of the most gutless pieces of **** to ever play the sport.  Should have been banned for life for his criminal assault on Pacioretty.  No reason to treat a complete disgrace to the sport with any respect whatsoever.

[hammertime]

Meh not putting any stok on this. So this fabricated thing became their rallying point. Good for them they won we lost. 

[Ghostsof1915]

They probably saw the Canucks warm up playing soccer and thought it was a mock Stanley Cup ceremony.

[Pears]

The fact that we’re still living in these clowns heads all these years later despite the fact that they won kind of tells you they know we would’ve mopped the floor with them under a level playing field. Still kind of insane how there hasn’t been an investigation into the illegal pads Thomas was using that year. 

Edited December 9, 2022 by Pears

[Master Mind]

I don't buy it.

 

If true, Dr. Mark Recchi would have made comment on their poor cup lifting posture.

[jyu]

Chara lost my respect.

 

He should've kept his mouth shut. You are retired and you won. Why revisit something like this even if it were true?

 

[jyu]

1 minute ago, Pears said:

The fact that we’re still living in these clowns heads all these years later despite the fact that they won kind of tells you they know we would’ve mopped the floor with them under a level playing field. Still kind of insane how there hasn’t been an investigation into the oversized pads Thomas was using that year. 

I think I counted at least 30 cross checks to Sedins backs from in every game. 

 

You get 30 cross checks, even the Great one, Gordie Howe, Mario Lemieux, Bobby Orr will be kept to the perimeters. It wasn't Thomas who won them the cup. It was the refs and changing of the standards.

 

You are right. The fact that they feel like they needed to come out and say this tells you all we need to know. Deep inside, they know their cup is dirty.

[morgo]

Most classless team to ever win a Stanley Cup, bar none.

[DeNiro]

What a giant loser.

 

I bet someone in the coaching staff made these things up to motivate them and they believed it. 
 

He never struck me as the sharpest tool in the shed.

[Pears]

3 minutes ago, DeNiro said:

What a giant loser.

 

I bet someone in the coaching staff made these things up to motivate them and they believed it. 
 

He never struck me as the sharpest tool in the shed.

And of course Bruins fans are stupid enough to believe it themselves but that shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. 

[Coconuts]

Eh, I don't even hate the Bruins anymore and I don't buy this. More than likely someone made shit up to try and motivate that team. 

[chon derry]

Proving the only thing worse than an a$$hole is a 6’8” a$$hole. 

[Kelly Green]

Thats a lot of gas from someone who should have been given a lifetime suspension for trying to murder Paccioretti a couple months earlier.

 

Go lick some Marchant , Char head.

[Devron]

Practicing how to lift the cup? Haha

 

That’s one of the dumbest things I’ve heard 

[EB43]

The fact that this man played a sport at a professional level is astounding… this guys brain is still in the troglodyte stage.. not to mention he literally fits into the evolution chart somewhere in the middle.

Classless cave dwelling moron.

[J-23]

I am sure Marchand would’ve spoken up about this at the time or around those years if this was true. Or even Lucic.

[Outsiders]

Its okay we still have this