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Komisarek Frustration Boils Over

January 2, 2011, 3:10 PM ET [ Comments]
Howard Berger
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
ETOBICOKE, Ont. (Jan. 2) – Perhaps the most dispirited of all Maple Leaf players took out his anger on a water-bottle toward the end of practice on Sunday, sparking a minor incident with one of the club’s assistant coaches. Defenseman Mike Komisarek left the ice at MasterCard Centre and knocked over a plastic bottle containing blue Gatorade that was perched on the boards at the team bench. The blue liquid flowed onto the ice — creating an ugly sploch — and prompting Tim Hunter to high-tail after Komisarek; block his path to the dressing room, and order an immediate clean-up.

Your trusty correspondent happened to be the lone media wag in the area when the incident occurred. As always in such a circumstance, my initial thought was that Komisarek and Hunter were horsing around (though it seemed rather odd for an assistant coach to burst off the ice and jokingly confront a player). It quickly became apparent that Hunter was annoyed with Komisarek and he physically reversed the defenseman, telling him — in no uncertain terms — to remove the shattered bottle from in front of the bench. Komisarek jabbered away at Hunter as he walked back toward the gate entrance before going onto the ice and gathering the several pieces of broken plastic.

Neither Komisarek nor Hunter were available afterward to comment on the little blow-up — nothing overly remarkable, but one that isn’t often played out in front of wandering eyes (mine tend to dart toward loud noises). After missing the latter half of the 2009-10 NHL season (and the Vancouver Winter Olympics) while recovering from re-constructive shoulder surgery, Komisarek’s performance this year has been mostly abysmal — a chief factor in declining responsibility. The former Montreal blue-liner has seen his playing minutes wither, as head coach Ron Wilson turns to others for the work-load expected of Komisarek. The native of West Islip, N.Y. will be 29 later this month (Jan. 19) and was among Brian Burke’s initial signings in free agency two summers ago.

It appeared that he and Hunter had a short and unpleasant exchange on the ice before the defenseman left in a huff and crushed the Gatorade bottle with his stick. Given the petulant display, Hunter was entirely within his right to go after Komisarek, who missed four games with a finger-tendon injury suffered in a fight at Pittsburgh on Dec. 8. At 6-foot-4, 243 pounds, Komisarek was expected to add size, tenacity and veteran leadership to the Leafs, but has struggled mightily this year while handling the puck. Glaring turnovers in the defensive zone — none moreso than a brutal giveaway to Andrew Murray of Columbus last Thursday at the Air Canada Centre (Murray beat Jonas Gustavsson but rang the puck off the goal-post) — have been Komisarek’s undoing for most of the season.

Otherwise a popular teammate who is always cooperative and friendly with reporters, Komisarek must dig deeply to regain the commanding physical form of his prime years with the Canadiens. Occasionally sharp in that area this season, his rugged play has been compromised by the mental lapses with the puck.

There was no indication after practice on Sunday that Komisarek would be subject to any further discipline by the Leafs. Hunter seemed to get the message across quite adequately.

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