Monday, February 7, 2011

Friendship with fisticuffs?


Friendships.
You build many in the game of hockey.
The close friendships are traditionally with fellow teammates, but often the number of close relationships that players build are with members of the opposition.
You often see Rockets players conversing with those from the opposition after a game. Either former teammates in the WHL or in minor hockey, those bonds are tough to break.
In one instance this season, Moose Jaw Warriors forward Jesse Paradis was seen getting a post game hug from a Rockets player as the Warriors completed their post game meal at Manhattan Point and headed onto the bus.
Those are strong friendships that will likely last a lifetime.
But as the Rockets head into back-to-back games with the Chilliwack Bruins this weekend, I often wonder what the relationship is like now between Rockets forward Mitchell Callahan and Bruins pest Curt Gogol.
Inseparable when they were teammates in Kelowna, the two have now fought twice since Gogol was acquired by the Bruins from the Saskatoon Blades.
It appears that Gogol has a chip on his shoulders wanting to prove to Callahan and to anyone willing to watch, that he is the tougher of the two.
Callahan looks like he could care less.
The 19 year-old is more concerned about the teams success and becoming a complete player.
It's often suggested that what happens on the ice stays on the ice and that Callahan and Gogol can put away their differences when the buzzer sounds and the game is over.
But as an observer, I would personally find it tough to be chummy-chummy with Gogol after some of the recent happenings between the two.
In a fight in November, Callahan explained to Gogol prior to the game that he wasn't going to fight, yet Gogol did his best to tangle with Callahan, going so far as to hitting him when the scrap was clearly broken up by the linesman.
Then the aftermath of a fight between the two in last Wednesday's 6-4 Rockets win had me wondering if these two players are truly friends?
Gogol was seen chirping the Rockets bench with Callahan throwing back verbal barbs in retaliation.
Just innocent fun between pals or a true dislike for one another?
I'm all about gamesmanship, but a mutual respect should be shown between the two players if they are true friends, right?
If Callahan and Gogol are really as close as they suggest, it's an odd relationship that I just don't understand.
It will be interesting to see the two take their relationship to a new level in a home and home series this weekend.



1 comment:

bigkev said...

i think astles want a piece of gogal