The next time you roll your eyes at the antics of Brad Marchand or Alex Burrows, just remember Alexander Radulov.
What he did in a recent KHL game in Russia was either one of the worst things a player has ever done to his coach during a game or some kind of involuntary muscle spasm.
Check out the video. Radulov is sitting on the bench for Ufa Salavat Yulaev. All of a sudden he turns and delivers a blade-slap with his stick on the face of his head coach, a very startled white-haired man identified as Ilari Nackel.
Then Radulov, the former Nashville Predators’ first-round pick, waves his left hand as if to say, “Yeah, that was me.” And everybody carries on as if nothing happened. Most peculiar, comrade.
If Radulov was looking for a ticket back to the NHL, he may have just cancelled it. Although wildly talented – he had 26 goals with the Predators before signing with Ufa in 2008 – Radulov has always been thought of as a bit off the mark emotionally.
When you watch the video, try and imagine if Radulov was a New York Ranger and did that to John Tortorella. Now that would be something to see.
No word yet on whether Radulov was disciplined or even sorry for what happened.
