While we’ve heard from just about everyone concerning the six-game suspension handed out to Canucks forward Rick Rypien, the person we’ve yet to hear from about it is the fan he went after. 28 year-old James Engquist is his name, and while you may not have heard from him already, he’s been talking about potentially pressing legal action in the matter against Rick Rypien.
As frivolous as you might find that to be, he’s speaking out again today in the wake of the action taken against Rypien and he’s not exactly pleased with the league’s decision as Michael Russo of the Star Tribune finds out.
That’s right, Engquist would like Rick Rypien to be fired. Are we sure there’s no one in public relations in Minneapolis or St. Paul that would like to do some pro bono work, because if anyone needs it right now it’s James Engquist. At least Engquist is getting some of his concerns addressed now.
When he complained that he hadn’t heard anything from the Wild or the NHL or the Canucks about what happened the other night, he’s heard from someone now. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman reached out to him personally to try and calm the waters that divide them.
Game and dinner with the commissioner, all jokes aside here, is a pretty sweet deal. Not everyone gets to meet with the head of the league and take in a game with the guy. As for the jokes, you have to wonder who’s getting punished more severely here, Rypien or Engquist. Come on, we can’t resist a cheap dig.
As for how his life has been since coming out against Rypien and for becoming a shining example for tort reform in legal circles, Engquist says that harassment from people not wearing an NHL uniform is at an all-time high.
He has to understand that the amount of attention he’s getting from this is partially his own doing. He didn’t need to talk to anyone about what happened and he certainly didn’t need to make his possible intentions of taking people to court public either. Wagging his finger at his harassers now will only continue to make life difficult for him. We’re not pro-harassment here because, let’s face it, he was brought into the public eye forcibly, but we might suggest a public relations class for Mr. Engquist once it’s all said and done.