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Brad Marchand: Shawn Thornton knew Dale Weise wanted to fight Adam McQuaid 01.11.12 at 2:26 pm ET
By DJ Bean

Bruins forward Brad Marchand, making his regular appearance on WEEI with Mut and Merloni, revealed Wednesday that Bruins forward Shawn Thornton knew that Vancouver forward Dale Weise was not trying to fight him in the first period of Saturday’s game.

Weise extended a challenge and appeared ready to drop his gloves prior to a face-off in the opening period, but when Thornton dropped his gloves at 14:58 of the period, Weise, who had fourth Nathan Horton earlier in the period, kept them on. Though at first glance it appeared Weise was using a cheap tactic to sucker Thornton into a penalty, Marchand said Wednesday that the challenge was indeed being extended to Adam McQuaid, and that Thornton jumped in to “surprise” Weise.

“I’m going to clear it up for everyone who’s listening,” Marchand said. “It was actually a really sneaky play by Thorty. Weise was trying to fight McQuaid, who was standing behind Thornton on the point. McQuaid was going to fight him. So, Weise was yelling and saying, ‘Yeah, let’s go, let’s go.’

“Thorty just figured that at that point he’d drop his gloves and surprise Weise. And the ref just kind of heard Weise yelling ‘Let’s go’ and thought he was talking to Thorty and conning him into a penalty. Thorty kind of surprised him when Thorty dropped his gloves. Weise had no idea Thorty was going to do that.”

Added Marchand: “Him and Quaider know each other a bit from the minors and I think junior as well. They might have went at [it] there.”

Marchand’s words corroborate Weise’s story, as he told reporters prior to Monday’s game that he was trying to fight McQuaid.

Thornton expressed confusion by the play following the game, though he did suggest that Weise could have possibly been looking to fight McQuaid. Both players were given unsportsmanlike conduct minors for the ordeal.

“Oh, he said ‘let’s go’,” Thornton said after the game. “I don’t know if he was talking to me or someone else but [referee Dan O'Rourke] heard him and [referee Don] VanMassenhoven heard him and that’s why he went with me I’m assuming. I mean, you’ll have to ask him. But Donny said, “wait until the puck drops” and I said “of course”. I heard him say ‘we’ll go’, maybe he was talking to McQuaid or I have no idea. But, I thought it was, obviously thought it was go time.”

Thornton added Tuesday night on Comcast Sports Net that he wanted to fight Weise because he was among the players who jumped him when he was drastically outnumbered 3:54 into the game.

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  • Anonymous

    McQuaid would have pummeled Weise too. Good choice by him to turtle instead. Well I’m sure his dentist could have used the work though.

  • Canuck Hater

    Hah! So it was McQuaid that actually turtled!

  • NoseFaceKillaBs

    Nah McQuaid didn’t turtle, Thorty stepped in. BIG difference….

  • Tomw

    mquaid or thorty would ruin anyone on the canucks…..except maybe rome

  • Rogpiece

    yea can you guys stop callin em nicknames like youre on the team. Its Thorton and McQuad. Leave the cuteness for teammates.

  • simmer down

    why don’t you spell check both those names you typed, you tool.

  • filo

    or were you just trying to give them new nicknames?

  • Rogpiece

    Lol, typical troll. Disregards the point of the comment to get some attention. You must not have known who I was referring to by my blatant neglect of one vowel and one constant in two names. By your two comments being minutes apart I’m sure you were pondering quite a bit. Take your name for what its worth and simma down .

  • Rogpiece

    Lol, typical troll. Disregards the point of the comment to get some attention. You must not have known who I was referring to by my blatant neglect of one vowel and one constant in two names. By your two comments being minutes apart I’m sure you were pondering quite a bit. Take your name for what its worth and simma down .

  • NHL fan

    Is it just me that believes Marchand should not be sharing these stories with ppublic?  Wonder how Thornton will receive this relevation!

  • scott89

    Typical Canadian team. They learn to avoid a fight before they learn to skate.

  • Hockeyman

    In Canada it’s about playing a skilled game.. you know shooting the puck passing deeking  scoring goals  Oh but you morons think its all about Fight Fight Fight… go to mma ya meathead

  • Bostonfullhomo

    Weise, Mcquaid, Thornton and Marchand are all from Canada…

  • Hockeyman

    But they play in the US except for Weise

  • hooray for logic

    Ok… um Thornton, McQuaid, Horton (who fought Weise earlier in the game) and even Marchand were all born, raised, and learned to play hockey in Canada. 

  • hooray for logic

    Because they were signed by… Canadian Peter Chiarelli. Hey the Bruins are the toughest team going, no-one’s gonna argue that point much, but physical hockey is a Canadian (and American, sure) art form, arguing otherwise seems sublimely ridiculous.

  • Tim

    Feel free to correct me 
    scott89, but you’ve got 3 Americans on your roster, all but 1 of your forwards are Canadian. So by your account, I guess that makes Boston a “typical Canadian team” then, huh?

  • Tim

    I see. McQuaid  needed big old Thorty to step-in and protect him from Weise. That is tough…tough to overcome the embarrassment. 

  • Marchand’s Nose

    This story makes absolute fools of the NESN broadcast team. Making assumptions as to what was really going down when they had no idea what they were talking about.  Boston sportscasters clearly over the heads attempting to broadcast hockey.  Only McQuaid needing big daddy Thornton to come to his rescue vs. a guy that had already fought once in same period is more embarrassing.

  • Original Six

    the canucks are a bunch of cheap cowards, whining, crying, what a group of losers.  Oh yea, thats right they lost the Cup too.  and look how their fans acted after, NO CLASS AT ALL!!!!!!!

  • Kfhgchgh

    agreed. I love both marchand and thornton and i was shocked when i read this. the bruins are so close as a team and i think thats a huge reason they are so good and hopefully nothing hurts that

  • Nope

    Cause Boston hasn’t had 4 “sports” riots since 2004 right?

  • lindenfan

    Okay, as a Canucks fan I was pissed at Weise for goading Thornton into a fight and then backing out, but good on Marchand for clearing the air.

  • Burrows’ Overbite

    I’m pretty sure I’d take McQuaid over Thornton in a fight….he doesn’t do it as often, because he’s a reliable shutdown defenseman…Thornton is the Bruins 18th best player. I’m certain that McQuaid would have throttled Weise.
    By the way, Thornton fought 6 Canucks while Weise went after the Bruins 6th, maybe 7th best fighter. Good on him, though.

  • Marchand’s Nose

    Bruins who grew up playing on ‘Typical Canadian’ Teams.  GM Peter Chiarelli, Coach Claude Julien, Patrice Bergeron, Greg Campbell, Zach Hamill, Nathan Horton, Chris Kelly, Milan Lucic, Brad Marchard, Daniel Paille, Rich Peverley, Benoit Pouliot, Marc Savard, Tyler Seguin, Shawn Thornton, Johnny Boychuk, Andrew Ference, Adam McQuaid.  

    Bruins skaters who grew up playing American hockey – tough, agressive, the way it should be played – Joe Corvo

  • Mgp1691

    McQuaid was on the other (right) point, not behind Thornton (left wing).  Besides, McQuaid skated right over to weis and he still backed off. 

  • George_coco

    It’s funny how much time is spent who won this fight or who backed down from that fight, I thought we are talking about the game of Hockey. and at the ed of the day with respect to that game, Vancouver Won and Boston lost, and Boston had 2 players thrown out of the game, period… end of story… Vancouver Won, Boston Lost…

  • Tim

    That’s right, only Vancouver would riot over a sport. That would never happen in Boston, right? Not in 2002, 2004, 2007, and certainly not in 2008. How about Roxbury? I guess that could never happen there either, huh? As for “Cheap cowards”? Maybe someone should try and get an old man on the phone and ambush him? Talk about cheap.  As for class, leave it on the ice, that’s classy. A rivalry was born last summer and it’s great for both  teams and great for the NHL. I like the skill and toughness of Boston’s team, I respect them for that. I even hate a few of them, which means they’re doing something right. So why don’t we talk more about that instead of acting like a bunch of high school brats, hey? 

  • Bowma

    I thought the Bruins WON the cup? Guess not.

  • Shocked

    Wow those commentators are fools haha I feel sorry for you guys in Boston what biased and uneducated annoucers and well some fans.  (some of you guys actually know the game but wow others I think need to go watch some baseball or somthing lol)  Typicall Canadian team? most of your best players are from Canada you Idiot !!

  • Hockeychick

    McQuaid would have messed Weise up hard, hell Horton brought him down, and honestly I think McQuaid is even tougher than Thornton, look what he did to Torres’ face recently. F#ck.

  • Hockeychick

    Did anyone else chuckle reading Weise’s lips for this? “On me?! For what?! For what?!”

  • Moldycandycorn

    adam mcquaid is a nasty fighter. just wacth him bash torres in

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