Despite what "they" are saying, Arron Asham is a nice boy

I don't normally like to throw my two cents in on NHL topics, I actually think bloggers who do that (ones who aren't "breaking" news but act like they're reporters with some glowing observation) are a bit douchey. BUT. Since I have had the wonderful pleasure of meeting Arron on more than one occasion, I would like to say I am certain he is feeling rather upset right now.

This is what happened:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoBXfD2oHRg

Arron is a passionate and considerate person off the ice, and a respected player on the ice. He is not typically known as a dirty player, just a tough one. He is paid a very large sum of money by the Pittsburgh to procect the team's star players. That is his job. He doesn't wake up in the morning and think about who he's going to beat up that night, but in a heated game during two rival teams like Pittsburgh and Washington, when some player of relative obscurity who has played only a handful of games in the National Hockey League like Jay Beagle, takes out a stud blueliner like Kris Letang, obvioulsy Asham is going to do what he's paid to do, and send a message to the Capitals that the Penguins are not going to put up with that. And so, he KO's Beagle, who hasn't seen the likes of what a grinder like Asham can do in a tilt, and then shows with his hands that his job is done.

I've seen guys pick their jerseys up and wave them over their heads after fights. I've seen guys take bows, try to rile up the crowd to make noise on their way to the penalty box, and guys who flat out keep chirping all the way to the box and even more once they get inside their little plexiglass coccoon.

Arron last summer at his golf tourney in Winnipeg.

The fact of the matter remains that immediately after heading to the box, Asham sits down, and when Beagle gets up with the help of his teammates and the team training staff, Asham taps the glass with his stick. A sign of respect. He wasn't attempting to make light of an injury to Beagle, otherwise he wouldn't have shown his respect for his fallen peer when Beagle got up from te ice. Asham's back was turned to Beagle when he made the gestures, so unless he has grown eyes on the back of his head since last time I saw him, I sincerely doubt he was able to see the extent of Beagle's injuries while he was skating to the box. As soon as he hit the ground, Asham SKATED AWAY and headed toward the penalty box.

I don't normally read reporter blogs, or follow reporters on Twitter or anything, but I do like to see what Bob McKenzie has to say, and in his blog on TSN, posted just a few minutes ago, he had this to say.

"The media loves to blow up stories like this. Oops, did I just say that out loud?"

(Read the rest of Bob's blog here: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=378076 )

I sincerely hope this blows over soon, and some other grinder becomes the latest victim of anti-fighting sentiments. It always irks me when I hear people saying bad things about someone I not only respect, but also like, and I hope we can all move on soon.

For those that are interested in knowing a little more about Arron, check out the charity work he does, helping to raise funds for under-privileged children in his home province of Manitoba to play hockey.