O’Brien’s reaction

Here’s what Shane O’Brien told reporters today about his hand-waving celebration after his third-period fight with Wayne Simmonds last night, an incident that led Kings coach Terry Murray to call O’Brien a “clown.”

“I wasn’t trying to show anybody up,” said O’Brien. “It was a big game, there was some emotion, the crowd was standing. The next thing I was raising my hands in the air. It was probably a little immature and uncalled for. For those of you who have been in a fight, there is some emotion. You don’t think before you act and I’m pretty good at that. I just have to start thinking before I do that.”

Canadian reporters at Kings practice today told Murray, and Kings players, that O’Brien “apologized.” I must have missed that part of the quote… Regardless, the Kings seemed prepared to let the incident go — at least publicly — and didn’t fire back today. In other news, the Canucks called up veteran defenseman Lawrence Nycholat from Manitoba of the AHL, most likely to serve as their seventh defenseman.

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