I was there and this was one of the strangest things I've seen, at least from a college player.
HIRSCH AFTER STRANGE
POSTGAME DISPLAY
Minnesota team officials were equal parts concerned and tight-lipped after leading scorer Tyler Hirsch put on a strange display after his teams 3-0 loss to Colorado College. After the teams shook hands and left the ice, with fans filing out of the building, Hirsch stayed at center ice, in full uniform, and asked for a puck.
After an on-ice official handed him a puck, Hirsch asked rink maintenance men to shut the Zamboni doors, then did something akin to an empty-net penalty shot. Hirsch skated from center ice toward the empty net, fired a slap shot from between the circles (it went in) then barreled full speed into the goal, knocking the net against the end boards and landing with a hard crash.
Hirsch then skated back to center ice, left his stick on the red line, and skated off the ice, with Gopher assistant coaches waving for him to get off the rink.
Asked if he could explain what Hirsch had done and why he had done it after the game, Minnesota coach Don Lucia answered, No.
That was bizarre, said Lucia. Lets just leave it at that.
Asked if Hirsch had been hurt while crashing into the boards, Lucia responded, Not physically.
Several reporters asked to speak with Hirsch, but were denied access to the Minnesota locker room by the team.
Were not going to make him available, said Minnesota team spokesman Kevin Kurtt. Hes obviously dealing with some issues, so the coaches have asked that you respect his privacy for now.
No word as to whether Hirsch will be in the Minnesota lineup on Saturday.
What the article doesn't really say is that he was totally laid out in the net after hitting it at full speed. Also, the guys who closed the doors didn't bother to latch them and the net hit the doors causing them to fly open. Pretty wild.
HIRSCH AFTER STRANGE
POSTGAME DISPLAY
Minnesota team officials were equal parts concerned and tight-lipped after leading scorer Tyler Hirsch put on a strange display after his teams 3-0 loss to Colorado College. After the teams shook hands and left the ice, with fans filing out of the building, Hirsch stayed at center ice, in full uniform, and asked for a puck.
After an on-ice official handed him a puck, Hirsch asked rink maintenance men to shut the Zamboni doors, then did something akin to an empty-net penalty shot. Hirsch skated from center ice toward the empty net, fired a slap shot from between the circles (it went in) then barreled full speed into the goal, knocking the net against the end boards and landing with a hard crash.
Hirsch then skated back to center ice, left his stick on the red line, and skated off the ice, with Gopher assistant coaches waving for him to get off the rink.
Asked if he could explain what Hirsch had done and why he had done it after the game, Minnesota coach Don Lucia answered, No.
That was bizarre, said Lucia. Lets just leave it at that.
Asked if Hirsch had been hurt while crashing into the boards, Lucia responded, Not physically.
Several reporters asked to speak with Hirsch, but were denied access to the Minnesota locker room by the team.
Were not going to make him available, said Minnesota team spokesman Kevin Kurtt. Hes obviously dealing with some issues, so the coaches have asked that you respect his privacy for now.
No word as to whether Hirsch will be in the Minnesota lineup on Saturday.
What the article doesn't really say is that he was totally laid out in the net after hitting it at full speed. Also, the guys who closed the doors didn't bother to latch them and the net hit the doors causing them to fly open. Pretty wild.
