What you see above is a banner of support for the Canadiens. It was posted by a Lebanese restaurant in Montreal. It got the restaurant in lots of trouble with the NHL - to the tune of $89,000 (Canadian).
Yahoo! Sports has the rest (hat tip to Steve Casson, Voice of the Missouri State Ice Bears Hockey Team for posting the link in the discussion board on STAA).
My take? Normally I'd be happy to dump on the Habs, but I think the NHL is overreacting just a tad. Holy schneike, but have you ever noticed just how many sports logos are used "unofficially" (also known as "illegally")? It goes on all the time, so why the NHL is choosing to make an example out of this case is beyond me. I think it's unfortunate - especially at a time when the NHL is having a somewhat lackluster postseason with only one team that I think is worth watching from a "casual" point of view (that would be your fancy Boston Bruins). Beyond that, meh. Tampa Bay? Vancouver is fair (they've got Luongo and the Sedin's and they're actually, you know, Canadian). San Jose? Nobody even knows the way there.
The star power isn't off the charts either this year. Ovechkin? Gone. Crosby? Injured. Again, I get it - Vincent Lacavalier, Steven Stamkos, and Martin St. Louis are all terrific hockey players...who are only known in hockey. Not marquee Madison Ave. names. Same with Luongo, the Sedins, etc. So for the NHL, they might want to rethink this.
Again, I'm talking about the playoffs for the CASUAL fan. The diehard (present company included) are loving every minute of it.
Those who aren't watching the tournament are missing some crazy fun hockey. Case in point: last night's 6-5 Boston win over Tampa Bay. Tim Thomas (despite giving up a few cheapies and playing behind porous defense) put on a clinic as to why he should win the Vezina Trophy. That's the life of a goalie by the way. It isn't always the fault of the defense. Sometimes the goalie also spits the bit.
I digress.
I hope the NHL takes the right path and drops the stupid fine. I also hope the restaurant stands strong and doesn't pay it.
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