Gamesmanship in the NHL playoffs is often the name of the game. But how about games that go on off the ice? Detroit’s Todd Bertuzzi would rather not see the Nashville Predators have a good time when not skating at Joe Louis Arena.
Dave Strader of NHL.com relays a story about how Bertuzzi saw the Predators using the Red Wings’ ping-pong table in the hallway at the Joe and as Ansar Khan of Mlive.com sums it up, he wasn’t too happy seeing the Preds using their toys.
Bertuzzi and a few of the other Wings saw the Predators killing time on their table and decided to interrupt. Strader says Bertuzzi packed up the table and told the Predators that if they wanted to play ping-pong, they should bring their own table. Todd Bertuzzi fun police? Hall monitor? Either way, I’m not sure I’d be the guy to interrupt him.
It’s fun and silly to hear about because, come on, it’s ping-pong for crying out loud. At least things went peaceably unlike when the Blues Jackets and Blues nearly came to blows over a pregame hallway soccer game. You’d have to imagine the on-ice insults will only pick up thanks to this, but who would dare call Bertuzzi “Forrest Gump” over his pong fascination?