Zegras, 2021-22 assist of the year

[agentzero]

So, Zegras scored on the shootout last night and kinda taunted the Columbus bench on the way by. It wasn't the worse taunting I've seen, but I think his reputation was a factor. Kid is definitely rubbing some people the wrong way, but I love his enthusiasm.

I have no idea if he's an ass (like Pat Kane), or just a super excited kid who just loves hockey. I hope he's not as ass, cause I want to continue cheering for him.

A lot of the younger players go through that. Someone will set him straight.

He was a man among boys at the last WJC. He’s the real deal and is gonna be a great player. What was he, 6th in his class? Might end up being the best.

[2014olympicgold]

Chirping is fine as long as you can take it.

The league needs more taunting in my eyes lol. Close game taunting is what I love. If it's a blowout and the other team taunted you in a previous game "inappropriately", taunt the hell out of them. As an example, if I'm the Leafs and Stanley gets danced on a goal, I'm pointing at him. Stuff like that. To me, Zegras can taunt, but needs to be humble getting taunted.

It's also better for the sport marketing wise. Younger fans like seeing this stuff. But the issue is players can't take it, and it's a dangerous sport when players go off their hinges.

[SeaDawg]

Chirping is fine as long as you can take it.

The league needs more taunting in my eyes lol. Close game taunting is what I love. If it's a blowout and the other team taunted you in a previous game "inappropriately", taunt the hell out of them. As an example, if I'm the Leafs and Stanley gets danced on a goal, I'm pointing at him. Stuff like that. To me, Zegras can taunt, but needs to be humble getting taunted.

It's also better for the sport marketing wise. Younger fans like seeing this stuff. But the issue is players can't take it, and it's a dangerous sport when players go off their hinges.

That's it exactly. I worry all the time about players getting needlessly injured when other players retaliate. Thinking recently about the Spezza incident, for example. We have big players, moving faster than they are in football or basketball, wearing heavy equipment and knife-sharp blades on their feet, swinging or hacking their stick like a weapon, smashing players into hard ice or boards/glass. There really isn't anything quite as comparable in terms of dangerousness, outside of perhaps something like MMA I suppose. But even then, fighters aren't blind-sided by their opponents.

[agentzero]

Taunting is bad sportsmanship. I don’t want kids learning from the pros to taunt other players. Celebrating is fine. Chirping is fine in good taste, and is fun. Taunting is trying to embarrass someone and it’s in bad form. There’s a difference between getting beat on a sweet move and respecting the skill that beat you. You can shake hands after that. But if the guy that beat you is pointing and laughing, to me that’s poor sportsmanship and it’s not what sports are about.

Invites bad karma…

[Belexus75]

A lot of the younger players go through that. Someone will set him straight.

He was a man among boys at the last WJC. He’s the real deal and is gonna be a great player. What was he, 6th in his class? Might end up being the best.

He went 9th and only one with similar skill to me is guy that went #1 Jack Hughes

[kovalchuk17]

i dont know about you guys but in my beer league if a player excessively taunts/chirps or celebrates like he scored the cup winning goal when the game has already been decided......... hes gonna get decked hard real soon.

we've actually received a penalty for excessive goal celebration as a reply for their taunting hahaha

[2014olympicgold]

Taunting, Celebrating, and Chirping are all very close together and situational. Celebrating a goal at 7-1 is taunting. Chirping a player who tripped you after a goal is taunting. It's all situational. In my mind, you need to be accepting to a situational level of all if you are fine with one. Obviousllyyyyyy I'm not saying cellying a goal is the same as taunting an injured player. But I'm fine with an adult taunting another adult if they are ok with it coming at them too if only emotions are hurt.

NFL has shown that outlawing taunting has caused a stupid knitpicky set of celebratory rules. I can flex, but if I'm turned 90deg the wrong way it's now taunting and illegal. But I can flex at the crowd and it's celebrating. Even tho the players know the guys flexing at them. This is what I'm saying is ok about taunting. Like if a player plows through guys and scores and flexes his bicep is that taunting or cellying?

I've also been the mindset of if you don't like the other team celebrating, stop them from scoring. The sport is ok with having live mics on ice level picking up the F-word constantly, but we're not ok with a player showing personality because it's a bad example for the kids. It's just a bit of a brow-raiser that we pick and choose what we're ok with because it's a bad example for kids watching. Just me however. And I get it's a 'perfect world' scenario that all players would be ok getting it to the same level of dishing it out, but I also think that stems from not accepting it. Like, a rookie upstaging a vet when he dangles the vet and scores. Wasn't that an issue in the past? Now it's accepted because players accepted that it's the new norm.

I'm getting to in depth with it though lol. If emotions are the only thing hurt, (and it's not like racial...anti-LGBTQ+...that line) I'm ok with it. But I do understand people find it wrong right now and I just don't understand that.

[agentzero]

All I know is there are penalties in every sport for unsportsmanlike behaviour and while their application is inconsistent as you say 2014og, I don’t think there should be room for “taunting” in sport. Chirping sure. Funny outrageous goal celebration, sure, but to me taunting is something different and just invites trouble. It’s crabby behaviour. More so than dropping F bombs. It’s disrespecting a human being and you can celebrate, in many over the top ways, without doing that. Many CFL touchdown celebrations are a great example, like the ticats in the fishing boat or doing the bobsled. I love that stuff. Wish there was more of it in hockey.

[SeaDawg]

FWIW, the "taunting" in this situation was Zegras skating by the Blue Jackets bench and hooting in celebration of scoring the goal. It was boarder-line taunting, and I've seen much worse.

Not that I wouldn't put it past Zegras to actually taunt a player or the bench (not that I have a problem with some level of taunting, depending on the situation, etc.).

[2014olympicgold]

Is it taunting or chirping when skating past a bench and saying something? This started when someone said they didn't like when Zegras skated past the bench after starting a highlight goal and talking because it was taunting. My point was there's a fine line between acceptable chirping and taunting and I would welcome taunting more. Is Matthews goal celebration 2yrs ago when he mimicked P.Kane's patented celly taunting or cellying? Or when Kane did it back after? That's the level of taunting I like. Or like lets say Matthews scored after Dubois was all over him in that Jets game yelling at him and like brushing his shoulder off or something like that, I like that type of taunting.

Taunting is intending to provoke someone with comments or actions. The first chirp is taunting because you're trying to provoke someone in some level. To challenge someone in a mocking action, insulting them or tease someone to be mean can be seen as chirping. That's kind of my point when it comes to this stuff. There is obviously a line that shouldn't be crossed, but I want more of it in the sport. And the more it happens, the more accepting it'll be. Rookies used to be chewed out for stuff because it was disrespectful, now it's accepted. Times will change, and ppl won't take a taunt as insulting, but as fun eventually and I think it'll make stuff more fun.

Like...I'm thinking of when Alfie fake threw the stick over the glass to taunt Sundin. I think that's hilarious. Or Roy's comments about having 2 stanley cup rings stuck in his ears. That's taunting to me.

[tweetdrivr]

I watched the shootout. On his way past the bench after scoring Voracek said quite a lot to someone on the ducks bench. I believe Zegras said something very succinct as he skated by after his goal and the blue jackets did not like it. Without knowing exactly what was said, Voraceks taunt appeared to be far more vitriolic and lengthy.

[Invictus]

The Zegras!
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CXrA8c0FrbS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

[hockeyrobot]

The Zegras!
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CXrA8c0FrbS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

I remember saying this after posting the Wings draft results on their team thread....but Detroit's organization has some of the best and most unique names in the business.

Cross Hanas
Moritz Seider
Donovan Seabrango
Redmond Savage
Theodore Niederbach