Hey, It's 25 Years (And A Day) Since Jim Schoenfeld Told "Fat Pig" Don Koharski To "Have Another Doughnut"
Yeah, the anniversary was actually yesterday—oops. But let's say that today is 25 years from the morning-after media coverage. Had this happened today, it would have exploded the internet.
On May 6, 1988, Devils coach Jim Schoenfeld was pissed about Koharski's officiating during Game 3 of the conference finals, and after the final horn, hurried to the tunnel to confront him. Schoenfeld touched Koharski, Koharski fell, the two argued, and Schoenfeld unleashed the words that would live on in hockey lore:
"You fell, you fat pig! Have another doughnut! Have another doughnut!"
The NHL suspended Schoenfeld, but didn't give him the chance to appeal his sentence—league president John Ziegler, the only person who could overturn it, simply couldn't be found. Lou Lamoriello got a restraining order that forced the league to allow Schoenfeld to coach Game 4. In response, the referees skated off the ice just before puck drop, in a wildcat strike.
It took about an hour, but the NHL scrounged up some replacement officials, who had to borrow skates. Two wore yellow practice jerseys. It was one of the league's most embarrassing moments. From an
Neither team could complain very much about the job the substitute officials did on Sunday night. O.K., they almost lost control of the game in the second period, when three fights broke out simultaneously. They also missed a couple of dozen offsides, and McInnis pretty much put his whistle away in the third period.
I love anniversaries. I think we're coming up on 22 years since Kevin Stevens and Bryan Trottier called Brian Bellows a "titfucker." Circle it on your calendars.
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