Brandon Prust Apology: Class And Clarification

TSN reports that Brandon Prust has issued an apology for what he said after Game 2, about referee Brad Watson. The initial reports came out of Tampa Bay after the Canadiens held a practice ahead of Wednesday’s Game 3.

The apology was Prust’s initiative in a meeting with head coach Michel Therrien:

#Habs Therrien on Prust: "We met this morning and he wanted to apologize... I thought he did the right thing."
— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNWpg) May 5, 2015

I urge you to watch the video found here. It shows his heart and his class.

Some quotes from the video:

"I’d like to apologize to Brad Watson, and the rest of the officials and the NHL if I’ve caused any embarrassment or headache. It was uncalled for.We got in a heated exchange that should have stayed between us. I’ve always played by the Code, on and off the ice… but Sunday, I crossed a line. What happened out there should have stayed out there.It was tough, it was emotional. I’d just got in a fight, I just threw my elbow pad at their bench, we’d just lost 6-2, 5 minutes later I have to go do interviews.I wasn’t myself. My heart was beating, I was agitated. I shouldn’t have been doing interviews in the first place.I’m an emotional player. I always have been. I’m in the NHL basically because of my emotions. I usually use them to the best of my advantage but Sunday I didn’t."

Prust regrets putting the Habs in a bad position and that if he could go back and redo it, he would.

Asked about potential fallout to the team, he said:

"I hope nothing. That’s a fingers-crossed scenario. Who knows what’s going to happen? I hope it’s just an honest hockey game, we go back to business and move past it."

But he expressed that he has no idea what might happen now that the bell cannot be unrung.

I am proud by this turn of events.

I am proud that he is the man he is, to come forth and publicly apologize. It shows humility and self-awareness, it shows decency and integrity. It’s a classy move by a classy man.

But for those who believe he is walking back his Sunday accusations, look at the statement: he doesn’t negate that it happened. Just that he could take it back.

And I believe, wholeheartedly, that he wishes it had not gone public – the perceptions have not been positive; unless, of course, you recognize that born of emotions and frustration, an incident that ordinarily would not have come to light based on “the Code” finally did get expressed. And that it’s about time.

Media will cherrypick the statement without presenting it in its entirety. That is why I’ve provided you with a link to the video and some quotes from it, above.

There are haters who have been denigrating him since Sunday night, non-stop. For supposedly hurting his team. For making it all up. And for violating that Code.

Those are the people who are now sneering that he was lying about the incident. Haters will hate.

Make no mistake – nothing in his statement takes back the veracity of what he recounted. And I believe he phrased it the way he did to erase any doubt that he was telling the truth. In fact, he states right at the onset that the exchange happened.

All Prust did was come out and apologize ahead of a crucial game for the Habs. Perhaps it was to speak publicly for the first time since it happened, and get that out of the way before the game. Perhaps it was to defuse the situation and get rid of the distraction.

Had he not apologized, the already-inflated issue would have been the only focal point of the game, at least for many people following this series.

Habs head coach Michel Therrien on Prust apology: it was the right thing to do. Says he's a competitor who cares. But saying sorry was right
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) May 5, 2015

It doesn’t mean he was lying about the initial statement.

The apology served an important purpose: Prust has now spoken on the controversy. Will that put it to rest? If you believe that, I’ve some swampland to sell you. No, this statment may just inflate it further insofar as media coverage and chatter on Twitter.

After all, there will be those who weigh in on the Apology now. Analyze its every word. Try to mind-read Brandon Prust’s motives. Condemn, or commend him for either apologizing, clarifying, or – as so many believe this is – taking it back.

Isn’t that what I’ve just done?

Difference is, I’ve done it giving Brandon Prust the benefit of the doubt. I have already weighed in with my feelings on this matter, twice.

His team had just experienced a brutal loss, was put in a 0-2 hole in a best-of-7 series, and he had singlehandedly racked up 31 penalty minutes. He shows his mea culpa in the video, very clearly – with words and body language.

Had he not been emotional, he would not have been a member of the Montreal Canadiens.

Does this make it All Go Away? Of course not.

Did he do it to try to get out of a fine? Not at all – he admits he knows the NHL will still be reviewing it.

Does this mean the investigation won’t move forward? With all my heart, I hope not. The accusations were serious. There should be proof of what was said to Prust and that proof should be used to assess the professionalism of a referee who didn’t look very professional at all as he wagged his scolding finger at a grown man right there on television.

But Prust apologized. And as the league has a media-blackout bubble around every referee, we won’t hear anything from Watson.

Fans are still wondering why:

@JohnLuTSNMtl When will Watson's?
— Robert (@byrneoNL) May 5, 2015

In my eyes, Brandon Prust is the bigger man. I hope he’s gotten this monkey off his back by doing the right thing in the eyes of the league, and his coach, and that tomorrow’s game will be a clean start for the team in their comeback against Tampa.

Yes, that was optimism.

More from A Winning Habit

Home/Habs News