OTTAWA - The Governor General says the violence of the NHL playoffs is anti-Canadian and is setting a worrisome example for children aspiring to be hockey players.
In an interview with The Canadian Press, David Johnston calls hockey "the beautiful game" because of its speed, skill and teamwork.
But Johnston is appalled by the gratuitous violence and fighting he has seen lately, especially during the Philadelphia-Pittsburgh game earlier this week.
He says Canadians are tenacious and competitive, but non-confrontational — and today's hockey is teaching the next generation to turn its back on that culture.
Johnston was once a competitive hockey player, and knows well that the game is rough and designed to be that way.
But he says there's a big difference between rough and violent.
