Coach in A Corner

When Don Cherry chooses to go on the attack, his targets generally decide fighting back is pointless. Maple Leaf coach Ron Wilson, for instance, has declined all season to respond to Cherry repeatedly goading him with derisive names for his coaching decisions.

Well, one NHL rookie isn't about to be ridiculed by the Hockey Night in Canada icon without urging Cherry to at least try to get his facts straight.

Being a good Canadian boy who once rode shotgun for John Tavares, worked his way up from the minors and has no problem dropping the gloves from time to time, Cal Clutterbuck of the Minnesota Wild was certainly surprised to be ridiculed as "Buttercup" by Cherry on Saturday night's Coach's Corner.

Cherry ripped Clutterbuck as "cowardly" for refusing to take his helmet and visor off during fights, and then taking it off as he skated to the penalty box after recent fights against Keith Yandle of the Phoenix Coyotes and Ian White of the Maple Leafs.

JIMMY JEONG/AP

Clutterbuck and Staios with visors on Jan. 30.

But in an interview with the Minneapolis Star Tribuine, Clutterbuck rejected Cherry's version of events.

"If you look at the incidents, first time I asked (Yandle) to take our helmets off, and he said, 'No,' said Clutterbuck. "I'm not going to be the only guy to fight and take my helmet off. The second time against White, he jumped me from behind. So what does (Cherry) want from me? I mean, what do you want me to do? Really."

Replays apparently supported Clutterbuck's version of the Yandle scrap. In the case of White, Clutterbuck was involved with Lee Stempniak of the Leafs when White interceded.

Clutterbuck, from Welland, Ont., noted he fought Steve Staios of Edmonton last week, an NHLer who also wears a visor, and both players kept their helmets on. "(Cherry) didnt' show that. I don't know why," said Clutterbuck. "I think what he does for the game in Canada, he's an icon, but I'm going to have to disagree with him on what he says."

It's never easy to understand why Cherry supports some but not others. When Chris Simon used his skate on an opponent last season and received a lengthy suspension, Cherry declined to offer nary a critical word. Jason Spezza, who walked out on Cherry and the Mississauga Ice Dogs as a junior player, remains one of Cherry's favoured sons.

These days, it's a wonder anyone would be counselling hockey players to take their helmets off during a fight after the death of a senior league player in a game after his helmet fell off during a fight and he subsequently struck his head on the ice.

Comments

[Peter]

hm, and what about the incident he was kicked out of their last game for?
he's a good kid, though. a little bit of the in-your-face type.

[David Bacque]

There's no doubt it can be very confusing to follow Don Cherry sometimes but in this case neither you nor Clutterbuck could possibly have seen Coach's Corner. Cherry said players with visors have chosen safety and therefore should not be fighters -too big an advantage in protection against an unvisored opponent. I'll admit his showboat style of making the point wasn't very nice but Cherry's point is good; in this case. Love fighting or hate fighting (and you know I've decided it should go) Cherry was right and you & Clutterbuck are showing your lack of attention to detail. Bad show Damien, poor reporting.

[Lewis McClain]

I love to listen to Cherry,but Clutterbuck is right. Fights are spontaneous, and keeping a shield on or off is just a matter of the timing. Myself i think the shield should be mandatory for all. Eyes are hard to replace....

[Syzygy]

Has anyone ever just watched Ron MacLean while Cherry talks? Half the time he's just staring at Don with this dumbfounded expression, like he can't believe what he's saying. Which, half the time, is understandable.

[Arron]

If you watch the Clutterbuck vs White fight, Clutterbuck purposely pulls White's helmets off. He had a chance to take his own off right after that and didn't. White tried to take his off but couldn't, too me that's cowardly and hypocritical. In his quote he said he doesn't want to be the only one without a helmet but he's clearly okay with being the only one WITH a helmet. What does that tell you?

[Guido]

Don't forget Cherry's bizarre anti-crosby stance... the guy is nuts.

[2nd Guess]

After 25 years, I continue to be amazed that Don Cherry is not held in the same regard in sporting circles as Jesse Ventura, i.e. a slapstick act, under no circumstance to be taken seriously. His views on fighting and so-called honour are outdated at best and patently ridiculous at worst; yet far too many fans regard them as gospel truths. And is it any coincidence that Hockey Night in Canada, after making Cherry its centrepiece, has gone from the unquestioned gold standard of hockey broadcasting to a tired product that reeks of old-boys' club?

[maxie]

I'll swim against the tide and disagree - I don't believe fights are spontaneous.In fact, most players decline SPONTANEOUSLY to fight. They avoid the long eye contact, they shuit their trap, keep their hands down, or just skate away. Its really not that difficult to avoid dropping 'em or to take one for the team leading to a power play in an honorable way.

Before the game starts, a player knows if they are willing to drop the gloves and whether they prefer not to. Sure, come are spontaneous, but those aren't as common as one would think.

I agree with Cherry. A guy with the visor should not fight unless he takes off the helmet. Regardless of what the other guy does. Full stop. Let the code take care of the other guy. The poster boy being Denis Gauthier.

However, I am not in favour of fighting, nor for guys exposing themselves by taking helmets off. BUT, given the rules as they stand, fighting with visors is bad form.

[mike]

I like your stuff Damien but you misrepresented what Cherry said.

He said if you wear a visor, you choose safety, so don't fight.

If you want to drop the gloves, don't wear a visor.

He never said to take your helmet off.

[cn]

Please stop talking about fighting every day!!!! It's not a debate. It's just Damien whining and writing just to read his own words. Move on.

[Tabber]

cn, you're a hypocrite. Stop writing about fighting just to read your own words. At least Cox is paid to write and fighting is a hot topic right now. cn, don't move on, stay back in the last century where you are comfortable, then you won't have to bother reading stuff you don't want to - by the way, why read what you don't want to anyway? More hypocrisy, gotta love the so-called people that read Cox only to disparage his writing. If the world could only harness that wasted energy we wouldn't need oil any more!

[Matt]

Like I've said before, none of this will be an issue in the playoffs, because as the players are producing the best hockey of the year during that time, there are no fights at all.

[pdh]

From my vantage point, Doug Cherry is nothing more than a self-promoter who has a very loud voice on a national weekly forum. It is all about Don and his "look at me insecurities" and finds it necessary to denigrate and publicly belittle those whom he deems weak, or disagree with his views and/or opinions.

I also find it somewhat curious, and a little disturbing at the same time, that a man who openly promotes violence and machismo while wearing garish, outlandish clown-like suits. All the time doing this grandstanding and the "he-man schtick" talks openly about how he loves certain men (Bobby Orr, Doug Gilmour, Marc Savard), and has been seen kissing them on national T.V. Don certainly is a walking contradiction.

Somehow Don has been empowered with the ability to slander those he dislikes and get away with it. Nice gig for him – bad for his enemies. It has made him very popular and very rich. His "act" will be what he uses as an offense to prop himself up against those he sees as easy marks. Cal Clutterbuck is one guy he has targeted to berate, and no doubt will keep it up as long as he can. Clutterbuck is right to fight back against the Cherry put-downs, but will never win the battle against a man who built a personal brand that comes with it a ton of power and clout. It has become increasingly obvious over the past number of years that in Don's own mind his opinions are more correct than the truth. Sad but true and can be very hurtful.

[Jeff]

Simple answer, Cal....don't fight wearing a visor! Jumped or not
just turtle and accept that you are choosing to protect yourself while endangering another player's hands. You pulled Whitey's helmet off...why might I ask????

[DamienCox]

Damien here. . .I guess the question is, if you look at the picture above, why would Cherry choose to go after a rookie for fighting with a shield when an established veteran like Steve Staios is doing the very same thing? Or why wouldn't he go after Maple Leaf rookie defenceman Luke Schenn, who has frequently fought wearing a shield this season? Clutterbuck, a young player struggling to stick in his freshman season, is an easy target. If the issue is fighting with shields, then surely Cherry can find more meaningful targets.
FYI. . ..there have been a few comments today I didn't bother posting with fighting proponents complaining that they don't want to see any more discussions about fighting. So they want to watch it all the time and get excited about scraps, but since they can't make a logical point, they do all they can to kill any discussion on the topic.

[Dennis Regan]

Can Cherry go away? He's been our faces for eons! We (the good guys) know what hockey's all about. Why are we listening to a clown? Aren't their other noises out their to catch our attention for the next fifty years? How about the guy on the corner yelling "extra, extra"? He has news for us.

[Peter Smith]

Clutterbuck pulled off White's helmet while keeping his on. Cowardly in my eyes.

[Noam Sugarman]

I can understand why Damien would point out what he sees as utter senselessness in one of Don Cherry's rants, as he is in the media and it is his job. What I fail to comprehend is all of those people who cannot stand him yet seem to watch him as much as anyone. I personally like watching Don Cherry, though I frequently disagree with him. But if you do not like him, stop watching, or else stop wondering why he never goes away.

[Dennis Regan]

Perfect suggestion! STOP WATCHING HIM! Been my habit for at least five years! He won't go away because the sheep always follow the louder (leader). In this case (as usual), people listen to whoever yells the loudest. We should be embarrased. Try my system, on coaches corner I go elsewhere, but during the second intermission I listen very intently. There is no yelling, just a bunch of hockey experts saying what they DO know. I still have the option to turn the channel, but haven't yet. They all seem to know what the game is about.

[Ron Gillespie]

I love Don Cherry and I respect all he has done for the game in the past. But, me thinks the time has come. He needs to go gracefully into the night. Although if he does, there is a good chance Milbury will be his replacement, and that would actually be worse!

Also - Damien - love the fact you pop into the blog here and fight your position. I don't always agree, but I do respect that you stick to your guns.

[Dennis]

Schenn has been taking his helmet off in every fight I've seen him in... Most notably his last one with Kennedy where he got mugged in front of the bench AND held his own.

[Jim Larouche]

God Bless Don Cherry however he missed the mark on Clutterbuck...the next time Clutterbuck gets in fight..."exuse me would you mind waiting just a minute while I take my helmet off and place it gently on the ice...and as reward for patience I will lead with my face...

[Mike Myers]

Don Cherry is an embarrassment to the game and to Canada as a whole. He is part of a Canada that is long dead and doesn't know it yet. This is why nature designed us to die, if we lived forever we would never get rid of the Don Cherry relics of this world and nothing would move forward. If you need to have fighting in a sport for it to be interesting and for it to sell then maybe it doesn't deserve to survive, and yes, I do love Hockey.

[ray brewer]

Buttercups had ample opportunity to remove his shield after the initial contact..There was more then 5 seconds of "posturing" before the second round began..He chose to leave his helmet on as is with most of his fights..He always tries to remove his opponents helmet during the fight..But is less then willing to remove his own..Cherry is right..He likes the tough guys..So what?

Wayne Gretzky even thinks you should remove your shield if you want to scrap..What does he know?..He is only the most respected player in NHL history..

[fatmike]

Donius Cherrionus the dynasour lives