A request from the league didn’t do the trick. A sternly worded letter has been sent; an NHL bigwig also delivered the message to the player and his team’s manager. Now we are here: Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy ordering his player to stop licking the faces of his opponents before the start of today’s Game 5. Per ESPN:
“I saw the directive from the league,” Cassidy said. “I talked to Marchy about it (and said), ‘That’s what the league’s asked for and we need you on the ice, we need you playing.’ So zip it, or whatever term you used.”
[...]
“If part of his MO is to annoy people, find another way to do it,” Cassidy said. “That’s basically what’s in front of him now. ... Preferably by scoring some goals, that would be the best way probably.”
The Bruins are currently down 2-1 in the second period in Tampa. Thankfully, no new lickings have been reported.