Monday, November 12, 2007

Joe Finley: Less Popular In Wisconsin Than Low-Fat Cheddar

Thanks to the indispensable Inside College Hockey for pointing us to a bit of news regarding University of North Dakota blueliner and 2005 Caps first-rounder Joe Finley.

It seems that Finley's Fighting Sioux and the University of Wisconsin (the numbers one and five teams in the nation, respectively) had a fairly rough-and-tumble series in Madison this past weekend, with much of the attention focused on Badger super-frosh Kyle Turris (the third overall pick in this past summer's Entry Draft). As the Wisconsin State Journal describes it:
"In the first period of the series opener Friday, won 4-0 by UW, Turris was walloped at the offensive blue line by Fighting Sioux junior defenseman Joe Finley, a fellow NHL first-rounder (Washington) who is listed at 6-foot-7 and 245 pounds.

"Things escalated in the second game, which saw North Dakota gain a split with a 3-1 victory. Winger Max Watkins thumped Turris in the neutral zone, Finley literally tackled Turris along the right boards, senior defenseman Robbie Bina put a headlock on Turris in the corner and junior center Rylan Kaip made a point of trying to drive Turris to the ice during every faceoff."
But while Big Joe may have been done, um, badgering Turris, his weekend wasn't quite complete. After the second game, Finley apparently went Jeff Gillooly on UW's mascot:
"[A] UW official confirmed that Finley allegedly used his stick to smack Bucky Badger in the leg when the two passed one another on the runway to the dressing rooms Saturday night."
Beating up on a future NHL superstar is one thing, but Finley had better be careful or he might just find himself with the last thing anyone needs - a pissed off Sandra Oh.

Update (11/14): Finley has been sent to the principal's office and the verdict is in - Big Joe must write a letter of apology to Bucky Badger. Seriously.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Wait, there's low-fat cheddar?

Anonymous said...

anyway we can you know, buy his National Title and get him in the NHL like yesterday? Anyway? Please?

Anonymous said...

Shades of Craig MacTavish and the infamous "pulling out Harvey the Hound's tongue" incident.

Anonymous said...

Hey, I'm one of the Crease Creatures (Wisconsin student section), and I saw the whole incident with Finley. Not exactly one of the classiest moves I've ever seen, but whatever it was a rough'n'tumble weekend all around. I should note that Finley actually hacked at Bucky's legs as he was leaving the ice before the opening faceoff on Saturday, while Bucky was looking the other way.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the first-hand account, Crease Creature. Did the rest of your section holler at Finley or did the fans see it as comic?

Anonymous said...

that is by far the coolest thing that has ever happened in the game of hockey...GO FINLEY!!!!