The Montreal Canadiens are denying any sort of sabotage, although I doubt anyone actually thought that the team itself had something to do with the ‘sand’ that was on the rubber mats outside the Flyers locker room. Furthermore, coach Jacques Martin claims his team had their own issues. From Dave Stubbs of Habs Inside/Out:
“Both teams had skate issues,” Martin said Sunday, following a meeting at the team’s Brossard practice facility. “With the new sticks, because of the intensity and battles and shots on the composite sticks, it makes more damage.”
“Every game, teams have problems with their skates,” Montreal defenceman Hall Gill said. “There’s a lot going on in the arenas, more foot traffic, and there’s a tendency for more stuff on the ground.”
Still, I doubt we ever get the true story for what happened yesterday and who may or may not have place the substance on the mats. It was more likely it was just an accident.
Although this will become much more interesting if it wasn’t.