It is, at the very least, the most famous penalty in Kings history. On June 3, 1993, at the Montreal Forum, the Kings led the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 late in the third period of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals. If the Kings won, they would take a 2-0 lead back to Los Angeles in the best-of-seven series. Play halted. The Canadiens called for a stick measurement on Marty McSorley. Referee Kerry Fraser took McSorley’s stick to the scorer’s booth, measured it and determined that it had an illegal curvature. McSorley got a two-minute penalty and the Canadiens scored on the ensuing power play to tie the game, then scored in overtime. Montreal won the next three games and the Stanley Cup. Kings fans can recite these details with the same ease as reciting the names of their children.
For 19 years, McSorley has heard about the stick, from fans and media. Most of the mentions and inquiries are of a good nature, but somewhat understandably, McSorley tires of hearing questions and comments about the stick and its infamous place in franchise history. Today, with the Kings back in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1993, McSorley held an informal session with the media and addressed the incident at length. After an initial statement, in which McSorley talked about “what a great time in Kings history this is. This is really a phenomenal time,’’ and talked about how his 3-year-old son wears a Kings jersey around the house, McSorley jumped into the stick controversy and gave his extensive thoughts.
MCSORLEY: “I have been asked constantly, and people have texted my wife for reactions. People want to hear about the stick in 1993. It’s OK, fellas. I’m a big boy. How I’m going to answer that is, if you guys know me — and a lot of you — I’m very honest and I’m very frank. The thing that disappoints me most about this (is) I think there’s been a degree of sensationalism, a big degree of sensationalism, and I don’t think there’s been a lot of honesty. Did I have an illegal stick? Yes, I did. Did I stand up, after the fact, and say, `Listen, I had an illegal stick’? Yes, I did. The things that have transpired since then, I don’t think there has been a lot of honesty. For me, personally, it was very, very disappointing. I’ve always been honest with the fans and the media here in L.A. I’m being honest with you now. That was very disappointing. To kind of hear it come out, if it’s going to come out, let’s be honest about what happened.
“Let’s be honest about the situation. Let’s not sensationalize it. Let’s be factual, and then we move on. I had an illegal stick. I think that Barry Melrose, I think that Luc Robitaille, (longtime trainer) Peter Demers, different guys around, have basically said what happened. We all know they basically pulled the stick rack into their locker room. That’s honest and that’s frank. Am I sitting here complaining? No. But that is what happened. Is it disappointing for me? Yes. It was disappointing for us, collectively, because we were a team, and boy were we a tight-knit team. I think that Barry Melrose did a phenomenal job that year of getting us together as a team. Would they have called somebody else? I think probably, because they knew there were numerous guys (with illegal sticks). I think we kind of treated it, at that time, as almost George Brett’s pine-tar (bat). That’s kind of how we treated it. To make a call like that is really, really gutsy. To find out later that they knew, and how they knew, was really, really disappointing. This is not a shot at the Montreal Canadiens, because I think that (new general manager) Marc Bergevin — he’s a friend of mine. I really hope he has success. As you guys know, I do some studio analyst work up in Canada, and I do some work here with Fox in Southern California, and I truly enjoy doing that. I’m brutally honest on the air, as I am right now. That part really disappoints me.’’
Just to back up a bit here, and add some perspective, the stick-rack theft accusation is one that I wrote for the Daily News in 2003, while writing a package about the 10th anniversary of the Kings’ trip to the Finals. Luc Robitaille said that, sometime around 2000, he heard a confession regarding the stick. “I’m in Montreal’s new arena and this policeman comes up to me,” Robitaille said in 2003. “He said, `To this day, I feel so bad. You know, they measured your sticks between periods and before games.’ In the old arena, they used to keep our sticks by the Montreal locker room during the games, and this guy told me that a trainer, or somebody from the Montreal team, told him to look to other way while he measured our sticks. Of course, that’s just what he told me, there’s no proof.’’
Robitaille’s last phrase there is an important one. There has never been any proof that this took place, and nobody from the Montreal organization has even publicly alluded to it. Jacques Demers, Montreal’s coach in 1993, authored a piece for USA Today in 1993 in which he said the Canadiens merely used observation, not deception. “To this day, some people believe we had someone enter the Kings’ dressing room and measure that stick,” Demers wrote, “but the truth is Kirk Muller and Guy Carbonneau had noticed during Game 1 that McSorley’s stick looked illegal.’’
McSorley said he has the stick at his home, but that it’s not on display in any way. McSorley largely laid the blame for the continuing story at the feet of the media, and that’s simply not true. In 19 years, it was really only a media storyline in 2003, during the 10th anniversary, yet fans and hockey followers regularly bring up the stick when McSorley’s name is mentioned. When asked whether he thought he would be “absolved’’ if the Kings ever win the Stanley Cup, McSorely ultimately said no.
MCSORLEY: “You know what? No, because I don’t think there’s anything I need to be absolved from. If you talk to any of my teammates, maybe if it had happened to one of my teammates, God knows how it might have affected them. I don’t think — it didn’t truly affect me, because I had an understanding as to what the situation was and what the circumstances were. We went about playing our business in Game 3 and Game 4. So, to answer your question, I don’t think there’s anything I need to be absolved from. From the fan base, I certainly don’t look at the fan base as being a body of people that have hung onto that. I really don’t. Yes, it comes up and yes, it’s in their mind. It is. It’s a point in Kings history. That point though, if it has honesty and there’s real frankness involved with it, I’m fine with it.’’
I’m sorry mcsorely is disappointed by the controversy.
some of us were very disappointed by the penalty
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Luke M Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 2:14 pm
@5buckcolonnade, Cup winners kill penalties. They also win games in OT. It is way too simple minded for anyone to have ever pinned the loss of that series on McSorely.
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KingsFanInPortland Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 2:20 pm
@Luke M, I agree. It’s like blaming Buckner for the ball between his legs or that Cub fan Steve Bartman for catching that ball in foul territory. There were more outs in the game and another game to be played. If teams let things like this derail them emotionally, then they probably didn’t deserve to win anyways.
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Arron Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 2:48 pm
@KingsFanInPortland,
How true is that of Leaf fans who still blame Kerry Fraser for costing them the cup with his missed called on Gretzky. Never mind there was an overtime and a game seven the Leafs still could have won. They didn’t and Leaf fans still won’t let it go. Same scenario here.
BluLiner Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 3:05 pm
@KingsFanInPortland, Its like blaming the referee for not calling a penalty on Brown against Rozival. hahahahaha.
ViperHockey Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 4:13 pm
@KingsFanInPortland, I remember this like it was yesterday. There was a sense of defeat the moment that Desjardins goal went in to tie the game. You could just feel that was the turning point in the series. You expect the players to be professional and not blame McSorely for what happened, but there’s no doubt that the ensuing goal made all the difference in the world.
I had the exact same feeling last year when the Sharks came all the way back to win game 3. That game decided the series, no matter what happened after that.
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
May 28th, 2012 at 10:59 am
@KingsFanInPortland, A lot of people also forget this was GAME 2. The Kings were in all three of the remaining games. Sadly, I think they were too pumped up on Tony Robbins affirmations, and not enough pumped up on the reality that it was their efforts that got them within a period of winning both the first and second games in that series.
This team, I think, has a lot more than that witch doctor going for them.
Donald_S Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 4:38 pm
@5buckcolonnade,
It’s funny. I never had the sense that Marty was really to blame. I remember one time that the incident came up during a Kings broadcast and Jim Fox said “Cheaters!”. Yeah, technically they could call it. But they should take as much pride in the win as if they had someone get away with a slash that the refs missed, that hamstrung a guy on a goal. It was bad sportsmanship. They want to be good sports? “Hey Marty, get rid of that stick or we’ll calling you on it next period!”.
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Christian T Reply:
May 28th, 2012 at 9:15 am
@5buckcolonnade, I think I got over that penalty in 93′. The blame is on the team. They were beat by a better team. We Kings fans are pesimistic and find fault to often. Let’s get this Cup and move on.
And if Sean O’Donnell didn’t take that 5 min. major we would have beat St. Louis and won the Cup. hahahah
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we lost overtime games in that series to patrick roy. if kings management hadnt traded paul coffey, marty wouldnt have been out for that shift. it wasnt the stick that lost the series.
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Bags at work Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 3:04 pm
@hocker, Coffee wa sa defenseman … Marty was a forward.
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PRMan Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 3:35 pm
@Bags at work, No, Marty was also a defenseman. And yes, trading Paul Coffey for Jimmy Carson was a huge mistake that cost us the Cup.
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hocker Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 4:24 pm
@PRMan, thnx. bags, what he said.
Kenny44 Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 6:19 pm
@Bags at work, Marty only played D in that series. Marty had a crucial goal in game 6 against Toronto where he picked the top corner very nicely. That’s much harder to do without a healthy curve on your blade. He played the best hockey of his life that series and the Kjngs likely would not have been in the Finals without his contributions. I say Marty’s ledger is even. I want to hate Demers for it, but I really can’t. It’s just one of those are you freakin kidding me moments.
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Michael J. Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 5:13 pm
@hocker,
We can all thank Barry Melrose for Paul Coffey being shipped out for Carson.
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Kenny44 Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 6:24 pm
@Michael J., Ironically, Coffey was the Kings’ best player the past two playoffs. Second ironically, losing Coffey made it impossible to keep McSorley on the wing, where Melrose said he was needed. Third ironically, Coffey was traded because he was too soft and wasn’t the right influence on the young D, but we got Carson in return. Not exactly Bobby Clarke. The key to the deal from Melrose’s perspective was character / energy guys from the Wings’ minor league team he coached, Schuchuk and the meathead I can’t remember.
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John K. Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 6:52 pm
@Kenny44, Potvin
Kenny44 Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 8:01 pm
@Kenny44, Right, Marc Potvin
Kings of Pedro Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 7:06 pm
@hocker, Agree, but didn’t Coffey net the Kings Shuchuk? Without Shuchuk’s OT game-winner in Vancouver the Kings likely don’t see the Conference Finals let alone the Stanley Cup Finals. Don’t get me wrong, as I hated to see Coffey go, but sometimes the odd man out goes on to score a huge goal every now and then. Just ask Stoll and Penner.
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hocker Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 9:16 pm
@Kings of Pedro, coffey’s points per game average in playoffs was just under apoint per game. losing ot’s as we did in that final, it could have been meaningful to have him. also, wtf is kings shuckuk?
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hocker Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 9:20 pm
@Kings of Pedro, nevermind about shuckuk. got it!
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tim chaney Reply:
May 29th, 2012 at 11:20 am
@hocker, i remember that dumb a$$ trade. Coffey was very valuable, carson had lost it. that powerplay with coffey was worth its weight in gold…
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Let’s just win Lord Stanley’s Cup and have something different to talk about regarding the Kings in the Playoffs.
I’m sure Marty is tired of talking about it and would rather us have something different to focus on that 19 years ago and what could have been.
Live in the present – It’s our time now.
Go Kings Go!
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TellmeY Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 1:58 pm
@Brent, Seriously. We’re about to embark on thee most important time in Kings history and we are talking about this? R u kidding me? He should have declined the question. Stay out of the limelight for now and if ur going to talk….talk about this current team…jeez it makes me mad! Not one darn negative thing should be on this blog right now….ughhhh.
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Itchy Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 2:17 pm
@Brent,
The only shift that matter is this one (or the next one if you’re not currently playing a game). That’s how you have to play every second the coach gives you on the ice… hungry.
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It’s in the past, it’s history.
Learn from this- Nobody play with an illegal stick, then no illegal stick penalty.
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Itchy Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 2:18 pm
@ChrisAB,
1) Take illegal stick penalty
2)score shortie
3)celebrate
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PRMan Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 3:35 pm
@Itchy, Funny.
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KingsFan on EastCoastTime Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 9:07 pm
@Itchy, I like how you think! Go Kings Go!
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Anybody think either team will have illegal sticks during his SCF?
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KingsFanInPortland Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 2:03 pm
@Diego, I was thinking about this. I wouldn’t be surprised I’ll say that much.
That’s an interesting question.
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Itchy Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 2:55 pm
@Diego,
Nah, Ovi didn’t make the finals… BAZINGA!
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Adamic39 Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 6:10 pm
@Diego, Not curve wise anyway. The old wood sticks didn’t have as much flex, hence they needed a bigger curve to get the hard shot. Today’s sticks have so much flex, they preload and release that energy for a hard shot. The blades are much flatter now because of that.
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Anybody who is still upset about McSorley is not only a McSorloser (sorry, had to) but also is probably still mad their 8th grade girlfriend dumped them and how their elementary school classmate kicked their ball over the fence.
Move on and don’t keep making issues out of things we can’t control. Focus on what you can do today, and what you can do better tomorrow. Learn from yesterday, but don’t dwell on it or you won’t be focusing on today and won’t be doing better tomorrow.
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KingsFanInPortland Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 2:04 pm
@KingsFanInPortland, I got a little too “therapist” right there lol. Sorry. Point being, the milk was spilled a long time ago. The tears should be dry by now.
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rontheking Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 2:08 pm
@KingsFanInPortland,
You’re right…I haven’t thought about that girl in a long time. But no, I’m not over it and I probably never will be….
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KingsFanInPortland Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 2:23 pm
@rontheking, I’m sure she was a sweet girl. I’m sorry for your loss Ron lol.
TheCrazyWhls Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 2:36 pm
@KingsFanInPortland,
To this day I still miss that ball…
But yes, move on people! That single penalty did not cause us to lose an entire series.
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Truth is, had nothing to do with marty. Barry Melrose had an illegal mullet.
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rontheking Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 2:09 pm
@jess,
Yeah! Way to stick it to Barry! I always blamed him anyway….
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Mars Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 2:42 pm
@jess, I hated his mullet so much, but I was in HS at the time, with a short fuse.
Mullets should be banned.
Kinda like the hitler stash.
Neck beards for that matter too.
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Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com) Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 4:14 pm
@jess,
Is there such thing as a legal mullet? I rest my case.
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how do you think steve smith feels, i’m sure way worse than marty.
just four more wins.
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Kenny44 Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 8:09 pm
@henry, That guy was inconsolable, and rightly. It wasn’t the Finals, but it was an Edmonton dynasty in progress.
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@jess, Good one
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I had tickets for game 6 that never happened. So I have spent a lot of time dwelling on “stickgate” over the last 19 years. It was a cheap way for Montreal to get ahead. I am ready to finally see the Kings win the Stanley Cup and move on. GO KINGS GO
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Just four more wins and then I’ll fianlly let it go.
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rontheking Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 2:11 pm
@Jon G,
That’s what I was thinking. Marty should be there at the victory parade with a hockey stick, and publicly break it on a podium as the crowd cheers….
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Diego Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 2:37 pm
@rontheking,
He should break it on the back of Smith’s leg with a two handed tomahawk chop.
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SuperSonic_42O Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 4:21 pm
@rontheking,
Just make sure Donald Brashear isn’t there!
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Having felt the huge disappointment from that incident and the subsequent turnabout in that series, I still often wonder why McSorley played with an illegal stick in the first place. He was a defenceman during that series for one thing, supposed to take slap shots mostly from the point. Did McS think he was Bobby Hull? I am still disappointed at the whole incident even 19 years later.
A Kings Stanley Cup victory would make that all go away.
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Itchy Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 2:36 pm
@NMKingsFan,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db1yT0poyys
This isn’t the one I remember seeing, but I remember watching interviews about the stick and the quote I remember from Luc was, “[laughing] Yeah it’s illegal, we ALL have illegal sticks!” (That’s paraphrased… I couldn’t find the exact video on YouTube) Anyway point is back in the old days nobody gave that rule any thought and everybody had an illegal stick.
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Mars Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 2:39 pm
@Itchy, A lot of players came out in his defense. That is why I never cared about it. The league didnt bother to do any checks all season long. Why then. So whatever to the situation.
I think its time it went to rest. It was too common place apparently.
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Itchy Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 3:03 pm
@Mars,
I agree, just informing @NMKingsFan b/c from his post it sounds like he didn’t know the players’ stories. If not McS, it would have been anyone else on the team… they were just picking on a Dman for the late third period 2 man PP.
The reason that this is still festeriing in our Kings fans hearts is basically the team has done NOTHING since then till now. It took till 2004 for Red Sox fans to forgive Bill Buckner for his gaffe in 1986, a Kings victory in the next two weeks will wipe away any bad feelings still left towards Marty.
BTW, I’ve always felt that the “stick incident” was overrated, because the team had still taken one in MTL, and they were coming home with home ice advantage. Had they won at home in those OT games Marty’s problem is forgotten. But they didn’t and here we are.
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I never cared about it, not from a Kings Fan stand point, but after the fact so many other players said they used the same “style” of stick. I remember it well I was still in High School at the time.
After that I had not thought of it again. It has come up a few times in the media and I largely disregard it. People trying to dig up something negative to talk about, something to distract from another issue.
My point of annoyance is Diving.
I dislike everyone trying to say Brown is a diver. More annoyed with the canucks saying he was, when you have a dirtbag JUMPING to sell a tripping. Smith falling over with a stiff breeze. Another Phoenix racking his head back violently with no stick contact to his face or chest.
The fact Smith got away with his chop at Brown and he took a penalty for it is absurd. Karma caught up with them, sadly, the League has not.
I think the League is bringing this up and not putting and end to it for negative media purposes. To draw attention away from more current matters. Also to get Canadians watching. I guess more so it comes down to getting ratings and drawing a crowd, or at least that is what the NHL will say.
McSorely. You are a stand up guy. Hats off to you.
NHL (bettman) shame on you! You can sell things positively. You don’t have to resort to shady news media tactics. This is a high honor to reach. Lord Stanley would bitchslap you if he could.
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Mars Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 2:37 pm
@Mars, Rich, no disrespect to you, thanks for the great coverage. I think this should be the last time we hear of it though. Again, this was an end all “stick controversy” piece.
Great job Rich. Keep up the phenomenal work. I am impressed as always!
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I heard from a king player that after they came to the dressing rooms that his teammates were upset at Marty and after they cooled off and Gretz stood up and said okay guys still a 2-2 game and so lets go win this game and the guys are ready to go and Marty stands up and says “okay guys make sure your sticks are legal”.
He said at that point some players wanted to strangle Marty.
But the biggest news here is that after all these years I am ready to confess.
It was not Marty that cost us the cup.
It was all my fault.
I went to Vegas and put money on the Kings to win the cup.
Every time I used to walk into sport books they all wanted to know what I bet,so they could bet the other side.
My jinx only works if I put my own money otherwise I am good at picking games.
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Just the same, I recommend: A) posting a guard, perhaps in the form of the ENTIRE taxi squad, by the Kings’ stick rack throughout the finals; B) ironing every Kings stick until each one is perfectly flat, not even a wrinkle; and C) focusing on GAME ONE and nothing else.
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It is a team game. Not just a one person game. Move on. The cup is about the team not just a player. GO KINGS GO!!!!
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Talk about home ice advantage. Well, I’ll bet a lot of jobs were created off that rack magic trick. “Ok. You’re job is to watch that stick rack. Got it?”
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The other thing about this is that they waited until the end of the game so they could also pull Roy at the same time as the PP for a 2 man advantage. If memory serves.
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Bags at work Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 3:07 pm
@LA_1968, That is how i remeber it also … seemed like an ace in the hole. F it though.. Lets win it all this year and compare the standings and our beaches with Montreal!
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Wow .. I’m tired of the question but let me bring it up and accuse Montreal of being even more shady …. Man I know it’s hard cuz you are part of the 93 team mcsorley but how about no comment till the cup is over. Because I know I’m asking too
Much of mcsorley to go find a rock to hide under for now …
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@hab, That is why I never bet on Hockey.
But the year the Rams won the superbowl I put 20 down at 50/1 odds and made out like a rockstar! But that was in 2000.
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LA_1968 Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 2:50 pm
@Mars, Are you saying you stayed a Rams fan after they moved to St. Louis? Or was it purely an economical thing? I am still without a favorite NFL team since 1995.
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tim chaney Reply:
May 29th, 2012 at 11:42 am
@LA_1968, same here, til they come back…
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Please, members of the media, please leave Marty alone from now on about this topic!!
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Itchy Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 3:05 pm
@Robert R,
You need to make a YouTube video dressed up as the leave Britney alone guy… complete with bad wig and running eye makeup… Leave McS alone! That’d be great…
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Robert R Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 4:56 pm
@Itchy, Yep
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I’ve never blamed McSorley & his illegal stick for us losing the Finals that year. The fact is that we had 3 chances in OT & didn’t win any of them. I hope this year we’ll put that all behind us.
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How come the emphasis is always on the MCSorley stick..but not a peep about Selanne playing almost an entire season with an illegal curve on his stick???????
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Go Kings Go!
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We lost that series because Roy > Hrudey.
Period.
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Anybody in the Portland, Oregon area having, know of, or want to have a viewing party? Or go to a bar somewhere?
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While the illegal stick penalty, was a turning point in the series, a much less talked about play, kept the Kings from potentially creating another turning point. In the dying seconds of the 3rd period of game 3 a scramble in front of the Montreal goal appeared to cause a Montreal player to cover the puck in the crease an infraction, that calls for a penalty shot. The single referee that night one Mick Magoo(spelled incorrectly on purpose) did not award a penalty shot. No one can say what the outcome of a penalty shot would have been if awarded. We do know that the failure to award a penalty shot incensed the Kings on and off the Ice, and that Montreal won very early in OT negating an opportunity, to turn the series in their favor.
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I still to this point don’t understand why it’s even an issue to people. The stick did NOT cause the Kings to lose the 1993 Stanley Cup, a better Montreal team was the cause. Even if Marty’s stick was legal, Montreal was a better team and still would’ve won. End of story. Anyone who brings up or has brought up the illegal stick, should be banished to be a Ducks fan!
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I think it’s incredibly naive to think that we would of gotten by Toronto or even the Canucks that year without McSorely. He did not cost us that series by a long shot. We wouldn’t of even been there without McSorely. I can proudly say I never ever blamed McSorely for losing the cup. Don’t have much use for those who think he did.
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TiredOfIt Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 5:58 pm
@KC23, +1000
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If Marty McSorely is not on the 1993 roster, we don’t get to the finals in 1993. After Game 2, we go to LA 1-1. Any player and King fan are very happy with a split in Montreal. We had 5 games remaining in the Series to win 3. We just couldn’t do it. All the games were very close. Has Montreal reached the finals since then? No. 1993 was a great year. Thank-you Marty and the 1993 squad for getting us to the finals. It was a great ride and a great time to be a KING fan.
Just like now. GO KINGS GO.
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I have been a Kings fan since Sawchuk was in the net and Bob Wall was the captain of the team. McSorley should be remembered as a King as the guy who allowed Gretzky to play the way he needed to play. Remember, before this silly “instigator” rule, McS was able to play and allow Gretzky not to be killed. McS was also a very, very good player. Look at his assists to the Great One…that should tell you that he was far, far more than just a goon, just a man who had an illegal stick. Please remember, Montreal’s brains are filled with “merde” as far as hockey goes. When they were winners, they were the first team to select players from the Q…How fair is that. After the league amended the rule, where are the Canadiens. They say, “Le Canadien son la.” As far as I’m concerned, the Canadiens won’t win again for many a year to come. Kings fans, remember we are number one…it is up to us to lose… not the NJD to win!!!!!!!
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HockeyOnlyAwaitingModeration Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 4:30 pm
@Oldkingsfan, Right on the the button, he was a “D” that could really be depended on, and at the right time.
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“Stickgate” may have been a turning point in that series, but there’s no reason to dwell on it anymore. Let’s stay focused on the present. It’s going to be an incredible series, and I feel confident that the Kings will NOT be denied!
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I’ve always blamed Montreal for being such punks for doing what they did. I mean, has there even been another ‘illegal stick’ call since?
The way I look at it is, all of Montreal should be rooting for the Kings to win because they will never win the Cup again until LA does. The curse isn’t on us, it’s on them.
At least that’s that I’ve been telling myself for 19 years…
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KC23 Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 4:34 pm
@Paul Armbruster (KingsNewsDaily.com), I like that theory.
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Moral of the story: if it’s not your rack, keep your hands off of it.
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But the most crucial question has not been answered
Did Marty know the stick was illegal?
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Did that STUPID stick affect the next 3 games???? NOOOOO….Move on….Marty did nothing different than hundreds of other players…he just got caught on the biggest stage…let it go…who gives a crap…can we PLEASE focus on the NOW and how great THIS team is? Thank you
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What I remember most about Marty, and I’ve seen him around Toyota center and he seems like a nice guy but the stick incident definitely, then his fighting skills and then the clubbing he put on Brashear. It’s sad but that’s the three things that come to mind when someone brings up Mcsorley’s name.
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Lavamantis Reply:
May 27th, 2012 at 6:54 pm
@Hat trick, I doubt any of us think about that incident much, except when our non-friends ask us about the Gretzky years. Looking ahead and not dwelling on the past is definitely the way to go.
That said, the Kings likely would have been up 2-0 in the series without that penalty. And the cause of penalty seems to me to be incredibly unnecessary. Should cup winning teams kill penalties? Sure. Was Patrick Roy good? Of course. But, to say that the timing of the penalty and the resulting “what could have been” feeling had no affect on the team seems incorrect to me.
When you listened to Bill Buckner interviews, he had the same “I have nothing to apologize for” attitude. Maybe that’s true. But certainly all ill will can be washed away if the Kings win, just like in Boston.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
May 28th, 2012 at 11:04 am
@Hat trick, Yeah, I’m afraid in the long run, the clubbing of Brashear from behind is far more disturbing…in fact, that’s what I though of when I saw Mike Smith get away with a minor for hacking at the back of Brownie’s knees.
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I worked for the Ice Dogs back in their first season when they played in the Sports Arena. I used to see all kinds of NHL folks in the back before/during/after games. Once, both Marty McSorley and Kerry Fraser were both hanging around. I saw the stick measuring tool sitting on the table with all the stuff that the players used to work on their sticks, and for a nanosecond, I thought about having both of them autograph it for gits and shiggles. But I wised up, and thought better about it because I wanted to leave the Sports Arena alive.
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Here’s what I remember Marty for:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5C04dJkRJI
Taking out Jeff Odgers in I believe the last game of the regular season, before the 93 cup run.
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McSorely’s curved stick is part of KINGS folklore. I did feel when we lost the game, we’d never recover and if we’d won the game, than we had a good chance of cradling the cup.
Either way, one man doesn’t cost his team the series, especially in G2.
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Hopefully Marty you read this. I don’t give a crap about your stick. I want to thank you for showing me what a true Enforcer is and why the game of Hockey will always need them. I was a kings fan about 3 years before you came to the Kings and you made me a hard core fan for life. To this day my chills watching a hockey fight are not as great as they were right after the ass whooping you would give on the oppisite teams players. I still can remember the game you saved Darrel Sydor an ass beating, jumping in and saving him, showing what type of player you were. Something about sporting the Mc Jersey makes you feel like a bad ass. To this day watching one of my favorite movies Bad Boys, I still laugh watching you try to be an actor. Keep it real and enjoy your 3 year old.
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McSorley’s new book: “IF … I did it.”
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Could of, should of, would of… Can’t do anything about it now. Do you think Barry should have used his time out to get his players’ heads focused when the penalty was called?
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Marty is trying to play this off as being unsportsmanlike on the part of Montreal for checking the Kings sticks before the game. If they did, shame on them. However, I don’t think Montreal had illegal sticks made up and swapped them out for the Kings players legal ones. Plus, Marty was on the team as an enforcer, not as a goal scorer. So why would he think having extra curve on his stick would help him? We haven’t seen many coaches ask the refs for a stick check in years. But in that era, having sticks checked like that in a game happened quite often. So why would any player in the Stanley Cup Finals even consider playing with an illegal stick and possibly jeopardize you team, especially a non goal scorer? That’s what doesn’t make since to me.
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All hyperbole aside, I’d be happy to never think about it again when the Kings hoist the Cup.
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Ya, it was bush for Montreal to do that, but Marty put the Kings in that position for having an illegal stick. That is what annoys me the most and 19 years later blames Montreal for taking the stick rack and not owning up to his actions. This will always be what he will be known as.
It did not lose the series, but it still lost a finals game which to me is just as bad. Here is to hoping we never talk about this again in a few weeks.
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rich-la Reply:
May 29th, 2012 at 7:02 am
@dannybuoy1, Marty would love to see the Kings win it all and lift that onus, haha.
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