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Turns out Ference intentionally flipped off the Montreal crowd after all

Ference Finger

In Apr. 2011, the Bruins and Canadiens played another in the long history of bitter rivalry games -- Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, to be exact.

It was a heated affair, like most others, but the big difference this time was a particular goalscoring celebration from B’s defenseman Andrew Ference:

Unsurprisingly, the move set off a flurry of criticisms towards Ference, who responded to the allegations by claiming the act was “an equipment malfunction” and an “unintentional bird.”

Today, though, the keen eye of Joe Haggerty at CSNNE.com found Ference’s blog -- The Good Man Project -- and his first post, which is about responsibility and accountability:

I am guilty myself of trying to blame a middle-fingered celebration after a goal in Montreal on a glove malfunction. In round one of the playoffs between two of the fiercest rivals in our sport, I scored a tying goal in the enemy’s building, only to have my fist pump turn into a sign language that crosses all borders.

Facing the media and a possible suspension after the fact proved to be too much for my self-accountability. Self-preservation is a powerful thing… it is easier to place blame elsewhere and overlook your own responsibilities.

And so ends the legacy of the unintentional bird which, I have to say, never caught on like I thought it would. I guess it’s hard coming up with a meaningful catchphrase in today’s society, especially with golden material like “taking my talents to South Beach,” and “that’s a clown question, bro.”