Unfortunate Ference/Courtesy @Steve_Mulcahy
MONTREAL — Bruins fans that wanted Andrew Ference to come out and say that he meant to flip off Montreal fans are going to be a little heartbroken.
The veteran defenseman was clearly caught with his left middle finger in the air after he scored Boston’s second goal of the night in their 5-4 comeback overtime win over the Canadiens in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series between the hated rivals at Bell Centre.
But after the game, Ference was apologetic.
“Coach just showed me it, and it looks awful,” said Ference, who hadn’t scored a playoff goal since 2001. “I just saw it and I can assure you that’s not part of my repertoire. I don’t know if my glove got caught up. I can assure you, that’s not part of who I am or what I ever have been. So it looks awful, I admit it, I completely apologize to how it looks. You guys have covered me long enough to know that that’s not part of my repertoire.
“I was putting my fist in the air. I’m sorry it does look awful. I just saw it.”
Here’s the video. You be the judge:
The league can impose a maximum fine of $2,500 for an obscene gesture. But earlier this season it took the extraordinary step to suspend James Wisniewski — then of the New York Islanders and now of the Canadiens — for two games for making a gesture at New York Rangers pest Sean Avery.
Regardless of what you believe, Ference will definitely have to explain himself to the NHL front office. However, what Bruins fans want Ference’s meaning to be will never need any explanation.
UPDATE:
I had an email exchange with Hickey regarding his Kimberly comment. He claims spellcheck error. I’m not buying that
i didn’t hear many o la olas in the third peroid montreal fans suck they only cheer for their team when they think they should win .They remind me of a spoiled rotten kid who throws a hissy fit if they don’t get their way go bruins
^^^ this.
For the price of $2500 – give ‘em both barrels next time, AF! Friggin’ Canadien fans.. I wave my private parts at you! and I fart in your general direction!
if you watch what happened to Ference before the goal, you’ll see him take not one but two brutal hits that knock him to the ice, give the man his props for still getting up the ice and blasting home the drop pass.
@John, sprayed coffee all over my desk – that’s how funny that post is
Ference thanks everybody who used the game linked from my name (above) to wreck MTL. it’s working. great series!
@RD
I’m sorry you must be mistaken, I have never said anything else about Pat Hickey before in the comments on this blog. I am well aware that he is not French Canadien. As much as I dislike him, I wouldn’t wish that upon him.
Hey RD, if your team had one character guy like AF you wouldn’t be colored the classless diving diva’s that you are
If Ference’s actions were so offensive, why did CBC replay it … and in slow motion???
Hey Cody,
I’m pretty sure Chara taught Ferrence that the key is to admit to nothing.
Hey, at least you guys aren’t calling Pat Hickey French Canadian this week…
It’s 2500 dollars and no suspension is being talked about. If he had done it on purpose, I figure he’d own up to it for that price.
Still, in my entire life, I’ve never seen a glove do that so well…
There will be an emergency parliament session. A provincial inquiry. A public inquest. I’ll admit that I didn’t like it but I liked the rocket high glove side. I have no problem with a lack of civility directed towards me. It’s just the grandmas and kids that don’t deserve it. It’s our duty to stem the erosion of civility. You know set the example yada yada yada.
Not surprisingly, Canada is blowing up about “Fingergate”. The Montreal “media” show just about as much class as the fans. The official game recap on the Montreal Gazette called Kaberle, Tomas Kimberly. Stay classy Pat Hickey.
I hate it when people can’t spell simple words like “series” and “gesture” in the same paragraph in which they call the Habs fans “dumb.” I mean… I hate the Habs, I love the B’s…. but come on, guys, you’re embarassing all of us.
You know what I love about this team? This year, they have balls. Not just in the sense of brashness, but also resiliency, determination, and heart. They showed that last night. If they bring all of these things to the table, they’ll be tough to beat for the remainder of the playoffs. If not… they’ll flame out.
Ference has always been passionate… mostly about trees and the like, but I’m glad to see this fire from him.
They boo the national anthem. Now, I know Ference is Canadian, but the point is I couldn’t care less about him flippping them the bird.
I would have done the same. Those idiots singing that stolen soccer song in the first and second period deserved the finger, the loss and much worse
Ference was a beast in the first and second period, flamed out in the third.
Seidenberg is awful this post season, do they put him with Z just to hide him?
He did what we all wanted to do. If it gets to the Habs and their fans, then it’s the best obscene gesture anyone has made all year! I don’t believe it wasn’t intentional for a second.
Also, the NHL on the fly crew had a pretty good take on it: they said that when you only score a playoff goal once every ten years, you have a little less time to rehearse your goal celebration.
AF is a smart dude, he knows you never admit guilt.
funny. the vs crew (kenny albert and panger) didn’t even bother mentioning it.
this is typical hab fanboy rage from canadian broadcasters.
I think given the one game and no game suspensions for actual dangerous plays the league will probably be satisfied by making Ference pull out his check book.
I don’t believe for a moment it was an equipment malfunction-it was probably a result of a beautifully scored goal that totally turned the game around.
I think the Habs fans will survive the gesture.
Bpaul that is hilarious. All I will say is it shows how much Ferrence is into this searies. He is a tough hockey player who stands up for his fellow players. I’ll take the finger over an on ice cheap shot player every day at least ference was being honest.
Well said Andrew
If this offends the montreal fans, they must be lite in the loafers.
Andrew, you pretty much summed up my opinion. Well put.
AF=Spin Intern. Needs to work on his “celly” as the kids say.
Can you be arrested for this in Canada?
If AF gets anything more than a petty fine for that, then Mike Milbury will have been proven 100% right about the complete pussification of hockey. Grow up, I’m sure the kids in the crowd saw a lot worse tonight than Ference dishin’ out some love.
Love it!
Yep should’ve just manned up … whatever, it was funny, if it were anybody but the habs I’d be a little disappointed in him. Pay the fine and move along.
C’mom AF – just own it. Even if he didn’t mean it (I’m not buying that) you just come off worse by back-tracking. A simple, “I got caught up in the moment-I can’t justify that- it’s not who I am…” apology and it’s done.
In the memo part of the cheque he can write “equipment malfunction”.
Who the hell cares? I thought it was hilarious. Fine him if you must and move on. I’m sure all of the Habs homers will be around to comment on the classless Bruins, Ference, etc etc.