Maybe I was wrong

I'm big enough to admit when I'm wrong, and maybe I have been.

Maybe I was letting my emotions get the best of me with respect to Scott Stevens. Maybe I should rescind all of my "I hate Scott Stevens" and my "Scott Stevens was a dirty player" comments.

After watching the #4 sweater retirement ceremony on Friday, maybe I should change my tune. Obviously I'm aware of all the milestones he reached, and I've always been respectful of that. However, I might want to revise my opinion about the way he played the game and the kind of person he is.

The fact that the Canes were on the bench to watch the ceremony says something about that. If they didn't respect him, they wouldn't be there. In fact, Rod Brind'Amour went out of his way to visit with Stevens at the tail end of the ceremony. The ceremony itself was nice, respectful, and subtle. I hope that teams will take a page out of that book and the Ron Francis retirement book rather than the Mark Messier book. In fact, I think Messier night is still in progress.

Here's where I will say what I was already thinking, and what the Canes TV announcers would not say. SHAME ON THE ATLANTA THRASHERS! For some unknown reason, the Thrashers stayed in their room during Ron Francis night. Francis was perhaps the classiest player ever, and there was no reason for them to abstain. In fact, that was a good opportunity for them to witness a bit of NHL history. But they decided to be the assholes that they are by not showing their respect.

The game ended unfavorably, but the ceremony was pleasant, and maybe I will look at Scott Stevens in a different light now.

Maybe.