Matt Carkner Makes Blood-Flicking Gesture Towards New York Rangers Bench (VIDEO)

In the first period of Ottawa's 5-3 loss to the New York Rangers on Thursday night, Senators defenseman Matt Carkner started bleeding after his fight with Derek Boogaard. As Carkner skated away, he appeared to flick or make a blood-flicking gesture towards the Rangers bench.

Rangers players claimed that Carkner did in fact flick blood at them, according to the Ottawa Sun.

"He just skated by, wiped his brow twice, maybe three times and just flicked (the blood) at us. I don't know why, but that's what happened," New York's Brian Boyle reportedly said after the game. "I was really surprised."

Carkner, who was given a 10-minute misconduct penalty along with five for fighting, denied the allegations.

"Maybe I made a gesture or something like that," Carkner said. "I don't even know who was bleeding at the time. I saw Boogaard was bleeding on the ice. I was just trying to skate off and get our guys going."

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Comments

[jnickle99]

12:37 PM on 12/13/2010

Take it easy people. If you think hockey or other contact sports are too violent, then there is a very simple solution: don't watch them. Fighting often occurs in hockey when a player in protecting his teammate after a cheap shot from the opponent, or it can be used as a tactic to get one's team fired up and energetic in a close game. Although fighting is not, and should not be, the center of attention, it does serve a very real and worthwhile purpose.

[NatTurner1]

02:02 PM on 12/10/2010

C'mon folks. There is nothing wqrong with flicking blood at opponents in hockey. Its strategy. Its a part of the game! Ease up will ya!

[Ari Winkleman]

04:34 PM on 12/10/2010

Its not part of the game.

[Charlie Ham]

01:16 PM on 12/10/2010

if this would football id tell him to rub some dirt on it, blood makes the grass grow

[shino]

01:06 PM on 12/10/2010

That's hockey no limits lol

[1canview]

12:52 PM on 12/10/2010

I find that a lot of people on here who talk about hockey know very little of the sport.
It isn't boxing and it isn't the UFC. And it isn't fake like wrestling.
Unlike football or baseball hockey is played at high speed.
Occasionally one player will take libertiies with another.
Sometimes some nasty things are said.
Unlike a bar or parking lot fight, no weapons are used. No biting too.
And no kicking or strangling. Or getting the other guy down on the ground
and finishing him off.
It is also very hard to get any leverage on an ice surface.
Mostly it is only certain players who fight and mostly it is about protecting the
stars on the team or just a team mate.
Once one player gets the upper hand and that usually happens within 30 seconds,
there are two linesmen and a ref who step in and break it up.
Anything flagrant results in a suspension to the player.
For their efforts, most players who fight are paid well over a million dollars a year.
Most hockey games don't have any fights.
In the playoffs at the end of the year there are virtually no fights.
Unlike football, with it's late hits, where a 15 yard penalty is handed out, players who
fight get 5 minutes at a minimum in the penalty box.
If you know hockey, and many Americans do, the other professional sports in the US
pale in comparison.

[VeryGrood]

01:12 PM on 12/10/2010

Oh great.... another "my sport is better than yours and here's a list of my opinions, presented as facts, as to why this is true" post.

[Ari Winkleman]

04:35 PM on 12/10/2010

He never said that. he is trying to explain hockey. Most people do not understand hockey.

[PoliticalJunkie65]

01:59 PM on 12/10/2010

I used to coach minor league hockey and I agree with most of what you said.

[Remember Remember]

12:33 PM on 12/10/2010

he's doing a talking motion with his hand. huffpost. you guys wanna have some positive hockey stories some time?

if you need writers for them then some of us fans will write them for you, it's ridiculous that out of the past couple hockey stories the majority of them have been about fights or 'amazing goals.'

there's a lot more to the game than that.

[VeryGrood]

01:13 PM on 12/10/2010

Probably because a lot of people find the sport boring and the only things that interest them are the amazing goals and the fights.

[SuburbanMalcontent]

01:21 PM on 12/10/2010

Than those people obviously don't like sports because there really isn't anything in team sports that compares to hockey for its speed, skill, and excitement, not to mention sportsmanship. That's right, I said sportsmanship. Even with the fighting, whoever initiates almost always asks first, and the moment one guy ends up in a vulnerable position the other player will stop. Finally, the handshake line at the end of each playoff series exhibits class that is rarely seen in professional sports these days.

[Ari Winkleman]

04:36 PM on 12/10/2010

THANK YOU! I say this all the time. They have 8 articles on Tiger Woods and 0 on hockey. Its disturbing. Ill write for them.

[ttopaster]

12:03 PM on 12/10/2010

carkner is a heck of a defender and a great fighter, but this was stupid. i can understand going toe to toe and being all in the moment, but flicking blood like that is just dumb. it's almost as dumb as BJ Penn liking blood after he wins, which is thankfully not too often.

[MaxPowerXP]

11:49 AM on 12/10/2010

Most of the Rangers didn't notice because they were too busy napping.

RANGERS HOCKEY: FEEL THE EXCITEMENT.

[ttopaster]

12:04 PM on 12/10/2010

ha! good one.

[oktober]

12:15 PM on 12/10/2010

If they hadn't won you'd have a point. Jealousy is ugly.

[MaxPowerXP]

05:32 PM on 12/10/2010

They won against the Senators, let's be honest here. The New York Rangers: hockey's retirement home

[OverseasVet]

11:46 AM on 12/10/2010

I thought that was the whole point of hockey....to fight and get bloody. Are hockey players/fans becoming squeamish?

[BlindChance]

11:37 AM on 12/10/2010

Bunch of animals.

[ttopaster]

12:04 PM on 12/10/2010

aren't we all????

[13champlain]

11:36 AM on 12/10/2010

Hockey...the last politically incorrect haven

[Phil22]

12:33 PM on 12/10/2010

haha. nice. Thought the New York suits were going to ruin it, but hockey is still cool. Having said that, flicking blood is pretty over the line. ;)

[13champlain]

12:40 PM on 12/10/2010

I like that hockey players are still usually unhandled farm kids. you won't ever see one of these guys talk about "taking their talents" somewhere. drop the gloves...sort it out directly.

[B 42]

01:49 PM on 12/10/2010

Really? the last one?

[13champlain]

01:56 PM on 12/10/2010

really

[Meggie]

11:26 AM on 12/10/2010

Guess I agree w/NoMoFearNoMoHate below, but still everyone should keep their bodily fluids to themselves.
In a kids hockey game a few years ago, a visiting dad spit on a ref that he disagreed with.  Cops called.  Assault charges.  Yell, but don't share fluids.

[NoMoFearNoMoHate]

11:17 AM on 12/10/2010

That was a "no sweat" flick, cause he kicked Boogaards hiney no sweat!

[ttopaster]

12:04 PM on 12/10/2010

i could see that, but the motion of his hand i really don't think so...but good one i didn't look at it that way.

[James Brown]

11:12 AM on 12/10/2010

There needs to be a 'Who Gives a Crap' choice on the poll.

[ttopaster]

12:04 PM on 12/10/2010

got you here.

[Brian Skene]

12:32 PM on 12/10/2010

Agreed. And I'm a hockey fan!

[cookerman45]

10:59 AM on 12/10/2010

" My friend flicka"