The match between the Montreal Canadiens and the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday evening will be the first meeting between the two teams who met in the second round of the final qualifiers.
During the first four games in the series that swept CH, Manitoba forward Mark Shevely cunningly hit Jake Evans after scoring the insurance goal into an empty net.
At a press conference, the Jets skater said he was ready to respond to his actions.
“If Jake Evans wanted to fight with me, I would definitely answer the call,” he said.
Watch Mark Shefel’s press conference in the video above.
Schevel will likely be disappointed to learn that these are not the intentions of Evans, who said he didn’t want to be the center of attention.
“I don’t want to be a distraction and hurt our team’s success,” the center said, adding that the play-off win was revenge enough.
Remember, Shivley missed all other matches against the Canadian in the summer of 2021, being suspended for four matches for his unfair gesture.
For his part, CH interim coach Martin St. Louis wants his club to focus on hockey against the Jets.
“I wasn’t there, but I saw what happened,” he said during press conferences that followed his family’s morning training. It’s been a year and we have to focus on playing hockey tonight.”
“The players have a memory,” St. Louis added. There is always emotion in the game. I want to start the game with the intention of playing hockey.
Watch Pierre-Luc Dubois’ press conference in the video below.
Emily Thompson is a contributor at Vaughantoday.ca, covering a wide range of topics including local news, politics, business, technology, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on clear, accurate reporting that helps readers stay informed about current events and developments that matter to their community. Her work emphasizes useful information, balanced coverage, and stories that reflect the interests, concerns, and everyday experiences of readers across Canada.