McSorley breaks his silence on the Brashear incident

[drtheglob]

In a recent interview, Marty McSorley talked about the Brashear incident.​

-Have you spoken to Donald Brashear at any point over the last 24 years?
-No, no.
-If you were to speak to Donald Brashear, what would you say to him?
-It would be different than if, like Sandy McCarthy and I had a number of fights. Probie and I had a number of fights, and I saw those guys, spent time with them, and I really enjoyed those guys. And those guys, we understood each other. We performed on the ice. We stood up to how the job, the guys like Clark Gillies and Dave Semenko before us, did their job, and guys like Gino Odjick did his job with class. A tough job. A very tough job with class. Not sure, not so sure about the other one.

Link to podcast below. McSorley appears starting at 22:08:

Click to read more...

 

[MXD]

In a recent interview, Marty McSorley talked about the Brashear incident.​

-Have you spoken to Donald Brashear at any point over the last 24 years?
-No, no.
-If you were to speak to Donald Brashear, what would you say to him?
-It would be different than if, like Sandy McCarthy and I had a number of fights. Probie and I had a number of fights, and I saw those guys, spent time with them, and I really enjoyed those guys. And those guys, we understood each other. We performed on the ice. We stood up to how the job, the guys like Clark Gillies and Dave Semenko before us, did their job, and guys like Gino Odjick did his job with class. A tough job. A very tough job with class. Not sure, not so sure about the other one.

Link to podcast below. McSorley appears starting at 22:08:

"The other one".
Get rek't, Marty. In the end, you'll mostly be remember as the smooth-brained who couldn't be bothered with changing his stick with a few minutes left and your team in the lead in game 2 of the SCFinals.

 

[The Panther]

I heard McSorley talk about this incident before, and in Marty's version of it, Brashear had been goading him into a fight the entire game, constantly chirping him to fight, which McSorley refused, as perhaps he was under coach's orders not to take a bad penalty or whatever. Then, late in the game, maybe the outcome was decided, so McSorley finally gave into Brashear's taunts, but then suddenly Brashear wouldn't fight. McSorley then chased him a bit and wacked him on the head.

Certainly an idiotic play by McSorley and basically ended his NHL career. Then again, I never though the smack looked that bad; I've certainly seen much worse stick-work by several other players (two alone by Gary Suter) that didn't result in national headlines or career-ending suspensions.

As McSorley goes, his spear on Mike Bullard in April 1988 was much worse.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

I heard McSorley talk about this incident before, and in Marty's version of it, Brashear had been goading him into a fight the entire game, constantly chirping him to fight, which McSorley refused, as perhaps he was under coach's orders not to take a bad penalty or whatever. Then, late in the game, maybe the outcome was decided, so McSorley finally gave into Brashear's taunts, but then suddenly Brashear wouldn't fight. McSorley then chased him a bit and wacked him on the head.

Certainly an idiotic play by McSorley and basically ended his NHL career. Then again, I never though the smack looked that bad; I've certainly seen much worse stick-work by several other players (two alone by Gary Suter) that didn't result in national headlines or career-ending suspensions.

As McSorley goes, his spear on Mike Bullard in April 1988 was much worse.

I'd say McLaren on Zednik was way worse too

 

[Crosby2010]

McSorley was always popular amongst players in the league, especially the tough guys. Brashear was never popular that way. I always leaned on the side of McSorley. He shouldn't have whacked him with his stick, although he probably was just trying to get his attention. However there was always something that bothered me about Brashear. McSorley was much more than just a fighter. He led the NHL in +/- in 1991. That's saying a lot.

 

[JianYang]

I heard it live and it was a bizarre interview.

He was basically saying that it was the ice and chinstrap's fault for brashear's injury. Then he went on to talk about something kariya did in the following preseason but he didn't get punished for it because of his status.

He was clearly annoyed to talk about it and was basically justifying what he did.

 

[The Panther]

Yeah, I mean, you can't really expect NHL-ers of a different era to logically discuss their passion-plays of a long-ago era rationally. It wasn't rational by nature then, and trying to explain it in today's context is going to be awkward.

It's a bit like if a middle-aged guy sits down with an interviewer on camera, and he's suddenly asked: "So, remember 30 years ago when you were still dating your wife and you slept with her co-worker three times? Explain!" Maybe if the guy in question has been to couples' therapy for years he can do it, but otherwise he's just going to sound stumbly and awkward if he's unprepared.

 

[PB37]

Yeah, I mean, you can't really expect NHL-ers of a different era to logically discuss their passion-plays of a long-ago era rationally. It wasn't rational by nature then, and trying to explain it in today's context is going to be awkward.

It's a bit like if a middle-aged guy sits down with an interviewer on camera, and he's suddenly asked: "So, remember 30 years ago when you were still dating your wife and you slept with her co-worker three times? Explain!" Maybe if the guy in question has been to couples' therapy for years he can do it, but otherwise he's just going to sound stumbly and awkward if he's unprepared.

Oddly specific example there, sir

 

[Yozhik v tumane]

I remember reading a heartbreaking article years ago about Donald Brashear’s upbringing.

Here’s what his Wikipedia entry states on his childhood:

Brashear was born in Bedford, Indiana, but moved to Val-Bélair, Quebec, his mother's ancestral village, as a child.

Brashear is the youngest of three children born to an American father, Johnny Brashear, and Nicole Gauthier, who was mainly of French-Canadian descent, in Bedford, Indiana. His father was an alcoholic who relentlessly abused his family, including slashing Donald with belts and electrical cords. On one occasion, when Donald was only six months old, he picked him up and hurled him through a window.[2] Nicole, afraid that Johnny might kill her, left the family and returned to Canada. Later, she came back to take the children but left Donald to live with his father for another four years,[2] until Donald's paternal grandmother sent him to Canada.[3] Donald's mother later stated that she left him behind because her future husband was prejudiced and wanted to avoid having another mixed-race child in the house.[2]

Brashear eventually moved in with his mother and stepfather in Lorretteville, Quebec. Because of his stepfather's racist attitude, he suffered further abuse in his new surroundings; for instance, he was forced to sleep with a garbage bag tied around his waist to keep him from wetting the bed and was verbally berated for not being able to tie his shoes.[2] His mother finally decided to give him up to foster care, due in part because of what she called "mental problems" from the abuse he had suffered, and because he did not accept her as his mother.[2] Brashear lived in two different foster homes that sent him away since the families believed he was a "little too much to handle."[3]

At the age of eight, Brashear moved to Val-Bélair, Quebec, and settled into a new foster home. Once there, he began playing hockey with his new siblings.[3]To help pay for hockey, Brashear sold baked bread and garbage bags door-to-door, and later became a paper boy.[3] He played in the 1984, 1985 and 1986 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with three separate minor ice hockey teams from Quebec City.[4]

I had the old article in mind when then-GM of SHL’s MoDo Peter Forsberg brought his 43 year old former teammate Brashear out of retirement during the 2014-15 season, in particular to protect the team’s young talent who he thought were being pushed around too much during MoDo’s struggling season. You might be surprised to learn Donald Brashear used to be teammates with William Nylander, Adrian Kempe, and Victor Olofsson.

Swedish media ridiculed the move to acquire Brashear harshly. This is an aging goon whose on-ice value questionable even in his prime, much less at this age and two years out of retirement from any level of hockey. And whether he even left the bench for the duration of a game and of what use his one or two shifts intimidating the likes of Per Ledin, Andreas Jämtin or Ole-Kristian Tollefsen only to scoot back to the bench and make space for ’an actual player’, it became something of a running joke in Swedish press. I remember thinking this was over the top and disrespectful to a guy who’d overcome so much adversity to have a 1000 game NHL career, and really doesn’t deserve to become a laughing stock just because his old pal had convinced him to come over to Sweden and try help his team in whatever capacity he might at this age.

There was eventually something of a redemption for him, I thought. MoDo faced relegation playoffs after the regular season, which they didn’t survive and they were demoted the next season. However, during one of the relegation battles, he actually managed to score a goal — the game winner as it happened — to immense cheers from the home crowd. Unfortunately I can’t find the video, but here’s what he said following the game:

Have you ever heard the kind of cheering following your goal?
— No, never before. I’ve played ”play outs” in Finland before, but this atmosphere is something else.

Also after the game the home crowd celebrated the hero of the match with chants of ”Donald, Donald, Donald”

— It’s awesome, first time I’ve experienced this. It’s been the story of my life, that people told me I can’t do it. But I’ve always worked hard and believe I deserve some respect after 17 years a professional player.

Source: Aftonbladet (in Swedish)

Forsberg praised Brashear’s attitude during his time with MoDo, even credits him for MoDo finishing the season without new concussions. He also described Brashear’s goal this way: ”We have two hours on the powerplay without scoring a goal, then we send out Brashear for 50 seconds and immediately he pots one”. ”I like his attitude. He’s not the one to cheer himself on, barely takes note it was his goal and instead goes to cheer on the others. He never whines, he’s 13th forward and I’m super glad he got to score this one.”

By the way, agreed McSorley slashing Brashear to the temple from behind isn’t the most horrible thing I’ve seen or read about in hockey. There was this Polish player in the 70’s who got the blade of a skate lodged into his eyeball with such force, apparantly it was was a whole ordeal to remove it. I also saw Adam Johnson bleeding to death.

Still, not sure I can defend McSorley the way some are inclined to do.

 

[BraveCanadian]

McSorley can claim Brashear wasn't following the code or whatever else he wants to try.. he's still the one who hit a guy in the head with his stick. His reasoning is just "Look what you made me do" abuser talk. If he believed in a code so much he should man up and own his mistake.

 

[Yozhik v tumane]

I heard McSorley talk about this incident before, and in Marty's version of it, Brashear had been goading him into a fight the entire game, constantly chirping him to fight, which McSorley refused, as perhaps he was under coach's orders not to take a bad penalty or whatever. Then, late in the game, maybe the outcome was decided, so McSorley finally gave into Brashear's taunts, but then suddenly Brashear wouldn't fight. McSorley then chased him a bit and wacked him on the head.

This is not the way McSorley describes it in this interview, for instance, and you fail to mention that they’d already fought once this game. According to Brashear, McSorley was the type of guy who wasn’t content having fought once and would just keep coming back. Brashear had taunted the Bruins bench and flexed after their fight, there’s no mention of Brashear chirping McSorley specifically to fight during that game only to refuse later. The Bruins and McSorley took offense to Brashear having taunted their bench, and McSorley was sent out to get even with him in the dying seconds of the game. Brashear, feeling he’d done his work for the day refuses, which obviously provokes McSorley into his boneheaded and dangerous decision to whack him in the head. It’s possible he meant to hit him in the shoulder, but that was a dangerous move.

I can’t find a video of the entire game but I found a good, seemingly objective game report about the events of the game that eventually led up to McSorley’s cheap shot.

McSorley had instigated a fight following the Canucks early lead, and Brashear responded in kind. McSorley, Canucks HC Marc Crawford and a referee all agreed the fight was meant as an inspiration to the Bruins bench, however Brashear had the upper hand in the fight and tauntingly “dusted his hands off” in front of the Bruins bench.

McSorley did indeed try to get into another fight with Brashear later that period, even taking 2+2+10 for crosschecking, roughing and misconduct. According to a linesman who broke them up, McSorley’s said “Come on Don, you have to fight me”, to which Brashear answered “no Marty, I’m not going to fight you. We are beating you 4-nothing.”

The game would settle down somewhat until the third period. Brashear drew a penalty and, while returning to his bench, did a Hulk Hogan impression to antagonize the Bruins. They’d complained to the refs about it who determined that the Bruins were guilty of mocking him at the same time.

 

[JackSlater]

Call me crazy but I'm in the "do not whack other players in the head with your stick" camp, regardless of whether or not Brashear had been willing to fight. Much worse than the Bertuzzi Moore incident to me, even though the damage was much less severe.

 

[MXD]

Yeah, I mean, you can't really expect NHL-ers of a different era to logically discuss their passion-plays of a long-ago era rationally.

It's not about being logical, it's about not even trying to not sound like a f***ing asshole, and after listening that, my impression is that Marty is too much of an asshole to be even physically able to be even trying to not sound like an asshole.

 

[Gorskyontario]

Yeah, I mean, you can't really expect NHL-ers of a different era to logically discuss their passion-plays of a long-ago era rationally. It wasn't rational by nature then, and trying to explain it in today's context is going to be awkward.

It's a bit like if a middle-aged guy sits down with an interviewer on camera, and he's suddenly asked: "So, remember 30 years ago when you were still dating your wife and you slept with her co-worker three times? Explain!" Maybe if the guy in question has been to couples' therapy for years he can do it, but otherwise he's just going to sound stumbly and awkward if he's unprepared.

McSorley was just a nutcase, plain and simple. Also you're right, the Bullard incident was far worse. Not sure if he even got punished for that.

 

[CaptBrannigan]

This is not the way McSorley describes it in this interview, for instance, and you fail to mention that they’d already fought once this game. According to Brashear, McSorley was the type of guy who wasn’t content having fought once and would just keep coming back. Brashear had taunted the Bruins bench and flexed after their fight, there’s no mention of Brashear chirping McSorley specifically to fight during that game only to refuse later. The Bruins and McSorley took offense to Brashear having taunted their bench, and McSorley was sent out to get even with him in the dying seconds of the game. Brashear, feeling he’d done his work for the day refuses, which obviously provokes McSorley into his boneheaded and dangerous decision to whack him in the head. It’s possible he meant to hit him in the shoulder, but that was a dangerous move.

I can’t find a video of the entire game but I found a good, seemingly objective game report about the events of the game that eventually led up to McSorley’s cheap shot.

McSorley had instigated a fight following the Canucks early lead, and Brashear responded in kind. McSorley, Canucks HC Marc Crawford and a referee all agreed the fight was meant as an inspiration to the Bruins bench, however Brashear had the upper hand in the fight and tauntingly “dusted his hands off” in front of the Bruins bench.

McSorley did indeed try to get into another fight with Brashear later that period, even taking 2+2+10 for crosschecking, roughing and misconduct. According to a linesman who broke them up, McSorley’s said “Come on Don, you have to fight me”, to which Brashear answered “no Marty, I’m not going to fight you. We are beating you 4-nothing.”

The game would settle down somewhat until the third period. Brashear drew a penalty and, while returning to his bench, did a Hulk Hogan impression to antagonize the Bruins. They’d complained to the refs about it who determined that the Bruins were guilty of mocking him at the same time.

This recounting of it makes the Bruins sound like a collection of whiny little bitches.

 

[MadLuke]

unprepared

not sure how true that would be considering how many time he would have either been asked or dreamed what his defense would be for that act...

It was an public act filmed that made the news by public figures, not something you would not have expected to ever explain (would it be at an official league disciplinary hearing, unofficial by the team or interviews if you ever give one).

It played in a unlucky way (where the stick struck, how Brashear fall), same can be said for the Bertuzzi-Moore incident that a lot of as risky acts get unnoticed because people fall in a better way..

I had the old article in mind when then-GM of SHL’s MoDo Peter Forsberg brought his 43 year old former teammate Brashear out of retirement during the 2014-15 season,

And if I am not mistaken, Brashear would have appreciated the money-occupation change of scenery...

https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2021/02/27/donald-brashear-descente-aux-enfers

En décembre 2019, l’ancien athlète déclarait une faillite personnelle avec des dettes de 235 500 $ sur des actifs de seulement 165 000 $.

Seem like a really nice try to help him from Forsberg...

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

like probably a lot of people, i also always have thought this doesn’t blow up in nearly the same way and nobody is talking about this two and a half decades later if that had been brad may he rang on the head.

obviously the racial optics are not lost on mcsorley, as he opens his list of “classy” tough guys with sandy mccarthy and ends with gino odjick.

that said, this is such a classic case of an entited white guy focusing on the racial element that exacerbated a bad situation and seeing himself as the victim, instead of owning up to being a giant baby who did a very stupid thing in the first place. just zero self-awareness.

 

[The Panther]

Just to be clear if anyone here thinks I'm "defending" McSorley, I am not. I already said what he did was idiotic.