The art of celebrating a goal in hockey is one that is studied meticulously by fans and young players alike. There are so many different moves, each of which gets showcased on a nightly basis in the NHL.
Well, John Tavares of the New York Islanders added a new and strange celebration to that list Thursday.
After scoring a game-winning goal for New York in overtime, the Islanders forward celebrated with his teammates. While most of the interactions included fist bumps and hugs, one player got a nice mitt to the kisser.
Here’s the goal that set off this celebration:
Tavares from Ho-Sang. It might not be the last time we hear that. #NYIvsCAR https://t.co/sKEUbktZ4R
— NHL (@NHL) March 15, 2017
You probably didn’t see the punch to the face in that video (I didn’t see it my first time watching either). So, here’s a more focused look:
Tavares celebrates by punching Chimera in the face pic.twitter.com/gOUY6xD4ts
— steph (@myregularface) March 15, 2017
In Tavares’ defense, Chimera did start it with that push. Physical celebrations like these never made any sense. Why are you trying to hurt your teammates? This is like when NFL players head butt each other when something good happens. Are you trying to get a concussion?
Just a word of advice for the Islanders: You are playing in a conference that is tough as hell. You’re going to need every player on your roster to make some noise. So, how about we keep the celebrations to hugs?
[Deadspin]
