Devils' Erik Haula completely disrespects Canucks fans with arrogant gesture after fight

The Canucks did have to suffer one of the tougher shutout defeats as they took on the New Jersey Devils last night. Conor Garland, a forward for the Canucks, did not hesitate to get into an altercation to try and bring life into his sluggish team. Frustration did seem to fuel Garland in this decision as the Canucks struggled at creating any offensive momentum in the scoreless game.

In the second, with the Devils well on top during a three-goal spurt, Garland got involved in a fight with Erik Haula. It looked like Garland might have been the instigator but Haula was more than happy to dance. For Garland, however, the fight did not go his way. Haula landed several well-placed punches, including a few where Garland stumbled backward. Haula ended the fight with authority on a takedown.

But it didn't stop there: after the fight, Haula blew a kiss to the crowd in Vancouver, a very inflammatory thing for many to see. His team was up by a wide margin by that point, and rather than celebrate that victory, the gesture from Haula just came off as taunting. To many fans and on-air commentators, that was just an uncalled display of arrogance against the continuous struggle of the Canucks.

Adding to the controversy is the fact that Garland stands at about 5'8" and thus is a less imposing opponent in most physical altercations. The celebratory gesture by Haula after a fight against a smaller player seemed unsportsmanlike to many. That is, under the code in the NHL, to showboat after winning a fight against a less physical player might be viewed as disrespectful, and perhaps Haula should try his luck against a more seasoned fighter.

Perhaps Conor Garland's attempt to spark his team did little to change the outcome, but his battle showed grit. The response by Erik Haula raised some debate as to what should be considered sportsmanship in this situation. This is one of those moments in hockey that remind the fans that as much as the intensity of the game is part of its charm, there are times when actions need to be respectful toward opponents, irrespective of the score or the situation in the game.