The Stanley Cup Handshake Conundrum
You could feel the relief a continent away as fans in Anaheim rose to salute their team on Tuesday night. A skittish bunch of Ducks had (barely) held off a late Detroit charge and advanced to the Stanley Cup Final.
Amidst the celebration, television cameras caught veteran Detroit defenseman Chris Chelios shaking hands with the Ducks' coaching staff. "Classy move," cried Greg Millen of Hockey Night in Canada. Then Chelios went straight to the locker room. "Not so classy there," said Millen.
Chelios had commited a hockey faux pas. He had skipped the traditional players' handshake at center ice.
It's not the first time Chelios has taken a pass, and he has plenty of company. Hall of Fame goaltenders Gerry Cheevers and Billy Smith were among those known to skip handshakes. When Detroit won the 1954 Stanley Cup, only one Montreal player stuck around to offer congratulations. "There undoubtedly has been far more abstaining than we've realized, because nobody records the results on the gamesheet or breaks down the video," notes Terry Frei at ESPN.com, who says the ritual should be optional. "Don't do it if you don't want to. No recriminations. No criticism."
Easier said than done. "I've always thought it was a matter of integrity." said one of Smith's old teammates, Dennis Potvin. "You lose the game; you don't lose your integrity."
A Red Wings fan will be inclined to excuse Chelios. His unwillingness to face the handshake shows that he cares so much, he hates to lose, he's such a competitior, etc. To a less sympathetic fan, he's just a jerk.
Comments
Chris Chelios doesn’t have a corner on the “I hate to lose” market. Not shaking hands is simply an immature act, one that displays a major character flaw and sets a poor example for young players. If the NHL can mandate that players talk to reporters after a game, this seems to me to be much more important to the integrity of the sport. The NHL should fine players who refuse to act with integrity – in any way- and that includes the post series handshakes.
Let’s not forget who we’re talking about here. Just because a guy is a competitor that doesn’t mean we should be surprised that he’s a jerk. Chelios and classy are two words not often used in the same sentence over the past 20 years. He’s still a great example of a warrior athlete, and as always a poor excuse off the ice.
Let’s get real. I had a lot of respect for this guy up until last night. Now I consider him an immature little jerk.
What if Detroit had won the series and everyone on Anaheam’s team just skated past Chelios and refused to shake his hand. Would everyone be giving the Duck’s team a pass if that happened. I think not!
Billy Smith and Chel are cut from the same cloth….once a loser always a loser. We seem to forget that their talent for playing hockey at a professional level has absolutley nothing to do with who they are as humans. And from their present and past it is quite clear where they stand on the decent human chart. LOSERS !
Is anyone surprised by this? Cheli is not a man of character, never has been, never will be. He can play hockey and is competitive, but has a lot of bad traits. This is another display of that. Check his history.
Chelios is the best American born hockey player to ever play in the NHL. He’s a legend. He’s a warrior. He didn;t feel like shaking hands with dirty hit Pronger, cross check Niedermayer, cheap shot Getzlaf or big mouth Perry. SO WHAT. I applaud Chelie for having principles and not sucking up to the classless Ducks. The Ducks organization is classless from the top down starting with Brian Burke.
This is the same Chris Chelios who said to his team mate Steve Yzerman he didn’t care if the USA did not win the gold medal in the olympics, only that they beat Canada. Fittingly, Canada beat the USA in the final for the gold and Chelios looked every bit the idiot he is. With an attitude like Chelios he loses even when he wins. Typically american.
Typically American, snarky? That’s a pathetic comment. So we’re all the same, regardless of race, religion, etc., as long as we’re all American? You need to do some maturing.
Chelios needs to grow up. What a crybaby. If he can’t handle losing, he should retire. He’s is a veteran who gets away with dirty plays of his own from time to time, so he has no room to complain. He showed no class when he didn’t shake hands with the Ducks players. For the Wings fans who are defending him, remember in ‘96 when Kris Draper shook hands with Claude Lemieux after the Western Conference Finals even though Lemieux had re-arranged his face with a dirty hit from behind? Draper showed a lot of class by doing that. Chelios definitely could learn a thing or two about class from Draper.
I realize this is about Cheli but I have a comment for snarky. I am so sick and tired of hearing American bashing by Canadians who seem to think they have a hold and complete ownership of hockey. Who were the original 6 teams and how many of them were from Canada? We love our hockey every bit as much in the USA as you do in Canada.Granted, all of us are not hockey worshipers as in Canada but that is part of what makes us great. It is good to have choices, although I myself LOVE hockey, there are others that don’t and that’s their choice. At least we do have choices. I live in a VERY football oriented area but we still pretty much sell out the arena for each hockey game.(BTW, American should be capitalized.)
As for Cheli -totally classless.Even children are taught to shake hands with the other team after any game they play. I admire him for his longevity but not his attitude or the example he is setting.
Oh my god Chelios is a bad sport….I’m shocked (sarcasm). Hey guess what know body likes to lose but the one great tradition that hockey has is the handshake after a long fought series. The Wings should be embarrassed and disappointed to have a classless jerk like Chelios on their team.
Last comment….The ref’s should have been in line with the Wings considering the inequality of calls being made in this series….
go ducks
Let’s remember Chelios no handshake exit in 03′ 1st. round loss, and damaged rooms at the Olympic Viiiage in 98′.
Optional?!? It’s only the best tradition in all of sports! As a Wings fan I am embarrased by Chelios. Who LIKES to lose!
Chelios remains a blight on the sport of hockey. Time to retire, you big baby.
as a former chelios hater now chelios admirer(based on duck dis) more power to him. the theory , and all knowledgeable hockey fans know this,is to take the euro talent on the wings and take them off their game with nastiness,intimidation and fear. I said it ,we all thought it!!!!
Pro’s should allways show respect for the other team, win or lose. Think of the kids that are watching. “Chilly” shame on you, what a big “BABY”!
Dan Doyle is an idiot.
I agree with Hockey fan.
I also agree with “Hockey fan”.
I love the Wings, and I’d very much like to know why Cheli chose not to shake the Ducks hands. I know there must be a reason, though I can’t concieve of a reason worthy of discarding regard and respect for the opponent. I would hate to think of him as a bad sport.
the handshake is b.s. like the current bettmen nhl,, full kudos to chili for not going along with that nonsence .. gladiators dont shake hands ,,anymore then guards shaking the hands of a released inmate when he gets sprung .. get real you jerks ,, tradition is for losers ,, sans canada !!!!!!
Gladiators? inmates? “laughs so hard he can’t type” This is sports, and debate is about sportmanship. CC doesn’t have any, but following this guy for 20 years i’d have him on my team anyday. Guy is about winning and always has been, if solid play gets him there, then fine but if dirty play gets him there… =) As for not shaking hands, he perhaps should’ve but not many will remember/care next year.
dan doyle has it right.you want old school but when an old school ploy is used by datsuyk leading to a series changing call(the phantom penalty) the whiny duck fans and red wing haters come out. you can’t pick and choose on what you like about the old(hard nosed checking,glove washes,clutching,grabbing, cross checking,low scoring) and like about the new(power plays,goals,smooth play and skill,protecting the goalie).the real truth is who can keep the red wings from the cup. how many of you hypocrites came out against the blatant old school hit by pronger on one of the many european stars on the wings.was this poor sportsmanship. chelios did exactly what the rest of the wings should have done.thanks dan doyle.
To dennis kelly nyc – This is not about gladiators and prisons. It is about hockey. Like I said before, too many kids are watching and will think Cheli’s actions are o.k. and will grow up to be jerks like him.(One of the dirtiest players in the NHL)
To dan doyle – Why would Cheli want to “take the euro talent on the wings and take them off their game with nastiness,intimidation and fear?” It appears that all the talent on the Wings was off their game anyway, even Cheli. If that was what he wanted and what he thought would work, well OOPS, it didn’t. GO SENS!!!!!!
stars rule, your comprehension amazes me. read it again, s l o w l y . every year its about sending the spineless red wings home because they don’t have the size or the heart. out hit, out manned are codewords for too many european players. nastiness and stretching the rules has been the style of play against the wings since probert, and kocur left. remember the year the wings brought back kocur , called up mccarty and then traded for shanahan to even the playing field after new jersey manhandled them in 95. now they are a pure finesse team, easy prey for the pronger types hence the glass wash of holmstrom. that is why chelios refused to shake hands.
To dennis kelly nyc — Tradition is for losers? Sports are built on tradition. That’s not to say that changes should never be made, but tradition is part of what makes winning a championship in sports so special. Shaking hands at the end of a series is what makes the NHL different from the other major pro sports.
It’s pretty obvious that you don’t know what sportsmanship is.
To dan doyle — It seems to me that you should be directing your anger at Wings GM Ken Holland. It sounds like you think there wasn’t enough toughness on the team this year. Was Pronger’s hit on Holmstrom dirty? I think so and he got a one-game suspension. If Chelios refused to shake hands with Pronger but shook hands with the rest of the Ducks players, I would respect him for that. But by not shaking hands with any of the Ducks players, he showed that he is a sore loser and doesn’t respect the game and its tradition. He should respect the game that has made him a very wealthy man. On top of that, Holmstrom shook hands with Pronger. Obviously he has a lot more class than Chelios.
Chelios was awarded the inaugural Mark Messier Leader of the Year Award on May 30. “The honour is given to a player who demonstrates outstanding performance, vast leadership skills and dedicated humanitarian efforts.”
Leadership? Chelios ignored, not for the first time, NHL rules on sportsmanship, a week before the announcement. Embarrassing all around.
good sportsmanship does not start and end with the handshake bull. bring back bob probert for next years playoffs and have him target pronger and paulson along with selanne then we can have a debate about sportsmanship. you guys are idiots. last post by the one who knows all or at least more than most of you who couldn’t tell me what a gordie howe hat trick is or what teams made up the original six of the nhl.
pronger showed his great sportsmanship again. what a you think aboooot him now ottawa fans, eh!! chelios instead of skating off should have finished what pronger started and sucker punched him during the handshake bull!!
Gordie Howe hat trick: goal, assist, fight
original six teams: Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Montreal, NY Rangers and Toronto
Pronger is a goon with talent. It was sickening to see the loser raise the cup. He can’t even honor a contract like a man.(see oilers)
Chelios is a big baby! It was classless to not shake hands. The hand shake after each series is something that raises hockey above the other sports and he disrespected it and the Ducks. And of course his own teammates.
I agree that Chelios was a disgrace in the playoffs. Pronger got off too lightly after already being suspended once. I was glad to see Giggy and Selanne win the cup. Alfredson really surprised me with his ignorant shot at Neidermeyer. Heatly and Spezza didn’t even show up for that series!
The handshake is ridiculous. It’s insane that players are expected to make a gesture of respect to another team regardless of whether that other team showed respect to their health and safety during the games.
You shake hands with your friend after he beats you at bowling or whatever because you were just playing to have a good time. You congratulate each other because winning isn’t what’s important. In professional sports, you’re talking about someone’s livelihood: winning is all that’s important. Shaking hands with the team that just beat you is like shaking hands with the CEO of Wal Mart because his company just put you out of business, or shaking hands with someone who got you fired and is taking your old job.