"A handshake is a sign of respect" - Bob Boughner
Business is business. Family is family. In the OHL the two are often interwoven, prompting good hockey and at times bad blood. Spits' head coach, Bob Boughner has felt the results of both recently. Days before watching his team dominate its way to another league title, he watched a member of the "family" get swept up by the enemy. Yes, it still stings. And yes, the Spits are still incredibly angry over Kerby Rychel's selection by Barrie. For its part, Colts management says it was business. But Boughner says it should've been about family, and honouring it. That's something the Eastern champs, or chumps tonight, appeared not to do when they took Warren Rychel's son with the final pick of the first round.
Despite any joy deep down of winning that 2nd straight OHL championship, Boughner was still furious post game about what transpired at the draft. He was so upset he refused to shake the hand of Colts' head coach, Marty Williamson. It was minutes after the Spitfires won, behind the bench, and caught on camera. Attempting to read Boughner's lips when he pulled away from Williamson's gesture, he said something like "I ain't shaking your hand." But hey, don't quote me on it ;) Any way you want to interpret it that post game snub is big news in Barrie for different reasons than in Windsor. Down by the border where the 'us against the world' mentality is heavy, the Spitfires' head coach is being hailed as heroic. The team and it's many supporters, of course believe Bougher was standing up for his posse in denying Williamson's hand. To them, the diss was a proud showing of displeasure. And a warning, that the Windsor Spitfires will not be disrespected.
Even today Boughner has no remorse over what did or didn't happen on Tuesday. He actually seems even more pissed off by it, calling what the Colts did "malicious". Boughner might be overstating things a bit with that kind of rhetoric, but he's steadfast in his belief that Williamson and the Colts management group should have honoured Windsor's intentions. Or at the very least given the Spitfires the courtesy of a head's up that Kerby was on their hit list. Boughner insists his group might have made adjustments, hinting a deal could have been struck in order to secure the GM's kid. It didn't happen.
In the end, gamesmanship won out at the expense of sportsmanship. It's latest in an unfortunate, unapologetic and extremely interesting feud between OHL foes. Wonder what's next?
Further reading:
Brandon Bound
Over and Out
Son of a Spit! He's a Colt
Don't think it's fair to drop it all on the Colts as they and the rest of the OHL were seemingly on their way to let the Spits draft their boy.
ReplyDeleteThat is, until the Spits tried to take advantage of the gentleman's agreement by trading down and acquiring more assets. Sounds like sour grapes that they weren't able to game the system themselves. Good on the Colts for not letting those shenanigans fly.
It was arrogant, foolish of Rychel to assume everyone was on board. Hey, Kerb was a first rounder in someone's eyes.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't worry about it too much. In a year's time the Spitz will go back to being the Spitz, hard work'n doormats, and the Booger/Rychel power couple will move onto the big leagues. In the end, Windsor will return to being the depressed and hard-set-upon little community it likes to project. A championship or two won't change the city or its people; ever the same Windsor . . . ever the same.
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