Mr. Entertainment

PHILADELPHIA — Chris Pronger has been giving the Flyers their money's worth this spring with his terrific, seemingly tireless play.

Behind the scenes, he's been pretty good value for the media, as well. At times self-deprecating, at times combative, at times playful, Pronger has made himself readily available pretty much every day in the post-season and has rarely disappointed. That said, he's been a confusing study at times, leaving observers uncertain as to his intent and attitude.

Today was a perfect example. Pronger patiently answered a long list of questions, many of which he's already answered a dozen times or more in these playoffs, but then grew testy over the issue of grabbing the pucks at the end of the game and attracting a little hate from Chicago's Ben Eager.

The Hawks, apparently, have been in the business of taking the game puck and putting it on display in their dressing room as they try for 16 pucks – signifying 16 wins – for the playoffs. But when they won Games 1 and 2 of the Cup final, Pronger took the game puck, angering Eager, among others.

It's a peripheral, five-day old issue, but it came up again today. Here's how the exhange went:

Q. How come you didn't pick up the puck last night?

CHRIS PRONGER: You mean steal it?

Q. Yes.

CHRIS PRONGER: I heard the term "steal" a couple of times the other day. I don't know, do you have the rule book? I didn't know the winning team was allowed to keep the puck. Is that a rule? Can you look in the rule book for me?

Q. One of your guys picked it up. How come you didn't pick it up? Was it decided in advance?

CHRIS PRONGER: No, it wasn't in front of me like the other one was. I don't know if you know this, but I picked up Game 1 too. You didn't notice that, did you?

And then he stormed off. Or got up and left.

What seems clear is that Pronger is taking an unusually active role in dictating these pressers, and the game's better for it. He's a lively personality with lots of ideas and thoughts on the sport.

Just gotta keep him talking. Doesn't seem to hurt his Hall of Fame game much.

Comments

[Stan Dawson]

Once a jackass, always a jackass.

[Arthur Bailey]

You would defend his antics. seriously?

I think it's because it's Pronger, who's on ice play is hall of fame worthy (but he is still a goon in my books).

If this were Avery, or Domi, or Brian McGratton I would think you would determine it a classless act and a needless distraction from the task at hand.

I guess sportsmanship is only appropriate when the series is over and they are forced to stand in line and shake each others' hands.

[baac]

Philly choked in the first two games and let Chicago dictate play. But instead of talking about that, we're all talking about Pronger and his stupid pucks.

The guy is a genius. Keep the heat off his team, take it all on himself and screw with the media. You may think he's an idiot (well... he is, but that's another story) but he bought his team breathing space when everyone could have been talking about how dead Philly was, and all it cost him was a 20 foot skate to pick up a puck.

By the way... Go Hawks.

[Mark Valiquette]

I think it's a perfect move by Pronger, stealing the puck when the other team has this little ritual going, it's like stealing the rival college's mascot before the big football game. Classic stuff. Rivalry! Antagonize the heck out of them! I'm sure after the series is done they'll all be the best of friends.

[other mark]

Arthur Bailey, you make me laugh! Comparing Avery, Domi and McGatton to Pronger on any level is a joke. You can't use their names with Pronger's in any list. A 'classless act'? Says who? He has as much right to the game puck as anyone else. Boo hoo Black Hawk cry babies I would say. Provocation in a very subtle form. Distraction? You bet. He's distracting some of the Hawks, that's for sure. I see nothing wrong with what he's doing and it's been fun to watch the sideshow it's created. Lighten up Arty.

[Buck16]

Pronger brilliantly deflected media question and comments from his team's losses in Games 1 and 2, and instead they focused on something so pointless as who grabbed the game puck.

The newspaper and radio reports made mention of the Flyers losses and then moved to, "but did you see what Pronger did?". No more talk about Leighton's poor goaltending, or where is Richards/Carter on the scoresheet, but Pronger 'stealing' the puck from Ben freakin' Eager.

Pronger is diverting the media's spotlight as well as he is Dustin Byfuglien from the front of the net, and it's keeping the heat off his teammates.

Brilliant.

[Karlo Berkovich]

Pronger is late in his hockey career - he has to start setting himself up for a possible media career upon retirement. That's all this is about.

[brad]

Pronger is a winner and a superstar. This only further proves that.

[Miss Molly]

He's brilliant, but it helps to have some incredibly bad Philly "journalists" to play off of. I think he would still be having fun with the media but when the writers in Philly write like they're from TMZ, they get mocked and ridiculed. Add to that, so many of the media have a worship/fear relationship with him, they rarely ask him tough questions.

[Johnnyk]

Much more refreshing and honest than scripted, "I'm really happy to be here, we've got great guys in the room, we have to give 110%" B.S.

[Lionel Messi]

Media career? Surely he's practising to be a politician: he clearly knows how to rattle the opposition and handle the media with aplomb.

[scagneti]

I wonder what would have happened if Pronger had the game winning goal in game 2 and Ben Eager took the puck to "throw in the garbage". Would we be hearing how "brilliant" Eager is? Nice to see the refs realize that just because it's Pronger, it's still a penalty.

[Arthur Bailey]

Sorry to comment on a 4 day old post, but this blog has been lacking in updates and especially mail bags of late. With only one game every 2-3 days in the entire NHL, you'd think Damien would have more free time.

If I was Ben Eager on Sunday, I would have given the game puck to Chris Pronger. He clearly needs a "winning" memento more than Chicago.

Mark, I did not compare Pronger to those players. I merely stated that if Mr. Cox had been talking about one of them and not Pronger, he would have sang a different tune. I am pointing out a perceived bias, like the one I perceive Mr. Cox has with biography subject Martin Broduer.

As to who has the "right" to the puck, I believe the home team supplies it, and therefore, technically, owns it. Or the NHL owns it. Both those wins were in Chicago. Pronger has no legal claim to the puck. He did not score with the puck, his team did not win, so on a sportsmanship level, he has no claim either.

Let's hope Chicago can win game 6.