Don Cherry says the incident between George Parros and Colton Orr that saw Parros stretchered off the ice Tuesday night was a fluke and it shouldn’t be used as an argument to ban fighting in the NHL.
“It was an accident, he went right over top,” Cherry told Sportsnet 590 The FAN Wednesday morning. “George, he’s a good guy and everything, but he’s the one that wanted to go with Orr. … He was the guy that was going after Orr because he put out one of (the Canadiens’) guys.
“You get in a fight, you get hurt. You take your chances.”
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During his second fight of the NHL season opener with Orr, Parros went head first over the Leafs forward and smacked his face on the ice. The 33-year-old had to be stretchered off the ice and taken to hospital with a concussion.
Cherry’s stance in favour of fighting in the NHL is well known and he was quick to address the anti-fight sentiment that is sure to be at the forefront of the hockey world following Tuesday’s events.
“All the anti-fighting people, they’ll jump all over that one,” he said. “I never, for sure, read the papers when there’s a fight like that. They all jump on it. You know, ‘it’s terrible’ and all that bologna.”
The 79-year-old Cherry, who criticized Buffalo Sabres enforcer John Scott for starting a fight with Phil Kessel on Sept. 22 during the first intermission of Tuesday night’s game, believes no blame can be placed on Parros’ opponent, Colton Orr.
“Parros went to throw a punch and as he threw the punch, he slipped and went right over top of (Orr),” Cherry said. “It had nothing to do with Orr.”
Parros’ agent said Wednesday morning the Canadiens’ forward was doing well and had not suffered any fractures in the fall.
Cherry also chimed in on former Maple Leaf Mikhail Grabovski, who racked up three goals and an assist in his debut for the Washington Capitals Tuesday night.
When asked if Leafs’ coach Randy Carlyle could have done anything to make it work with Grabovski in Toronto, Cherry didn’t think so.
“He’s the type of guy that’s got to be on the last year of his contract,” Cherry said. “He did not play well for Toronto at all (last year). He floated.”
“He’s on a one-year contract. If he doesn’t do well in Washington, he’s gone forever.”
