As We See It

Canadian riot!

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Illustration: Ryan Olbrysh

The June 22 NHL Awards at the Palms were hosted by comedian Jay Mohr, who told Las Vegas Magazine he loves hockey because it polices itself. The fans, however, need actual policing—the kind with tear gas and handcuffs and national embarrassment. And we’re not talking about our side of the border. Immediately after the Boston Bruins’ Stanley Cup blowout of the Vancouver Canucks, the hometown crowd seemed civilized enough. When Bruins goalie Tim Thomas accepted the MVP trophy, the Canadian throngs gave him a standing ovation. Outside, a cityscape consistently ranked one of the world’s most livable became a panel in a Frank Miller comic. Shrouded in mace and smoke from flaming cars, enraged Canadians looted, bludgeoned and stabbed their way through the streets. They were not protesting the G8. They were proving themselves the sorest losers on the continent. We get it. Canada invented hockey, and losing 4-0 at home to a U.S. team in Game 7 feels pretty crappy. But the more than 100 rioters who got arrested should note that 14 of Boston’s 19 regular players are Canadian. The Canucks boast only 11 on the main roster, and leading scorer Daniel Sedin (who accepted the Art Ross Trophy at the NHL Awards) is Swedish. U.S. fans may riot even when our teams win, but we don’t pretend to be better than that.

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