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Maple Leafs' Team Bus Got Stuck In The Snow
After Sunday Night's Game At Prudential Center |
Devils President, CEO & GM Lou Lamoriello yesterday said that not postponing Sunday's Maple Leafs-Devils game at Prudential Center despite weather concerns was the "right decision," according to Rich Chere of the Newark STAR-LEDGER. Lamoriello said, "We've gone through these type of situations in the past. Decisions are made. You can always have hindsight on anything you do. You make it with the right intentions and the information you have at that time." He also noted that there was "never any discussion" with the NHL about postponing the game, which drew just 5,329 fans. Lamoriello: "When both teams are in town and the referees are in town it's a very difficult thing to do. All day long there was really no snow on the streets in this area." But Chere wrote the "lives of many Devils fans, not to mention several of the team's players, were put at risk by failing to postpone Sunday night's game." The Maple Leafs' team bus was "stuck in snow after Sunday night's game and the team spent most of the night and early morning stranded on a New Jersey highway." Similarly, Devils LW Patrik Elias and C Travis Zajac "spent the entire night in Elias' car stuck on Route 280." Devils G Martin Brodeur said, "I understand the scheduling is pretty hard. But at the end of the day, the league and the teams involved maybe should think twice about being safer or smarter. We had players sleeping in their cars." Chere wrote the "decision to play the game was wrong" because it is the "league's responsibility -- not to mention the responsibility of the Devils -- to protect its players and fans" (NJ.com, 12/28).
