The Best Of 2012

2012 is coming to an end so many websites are recapping the year that was.

Over at Puck Daddy, in partnership with David Singer of HockeyFights.com, they’ve named the top 11 hockey fights from 2012. Coming in at No. 4 was this Grant West fight against the PEI Rocket’s Alex Gallant on February 11, 2012.

What a tilt.

“Singer thinks this fight could have been No. 1, and you can see why: Rabbit punches between friends, and those upper cuts from West were legit,” writes Puck Daddy.

The No. 2 fight took place at the Memorial Cup while the No. 1 took place in the QMJHL.

Over at Sportsnet.ca, Gerard Gallant’s comments about QMJHL officiating was named best CHL rant of the year. Gallant’s rant came after the Sea Dogs lost their opening game at the Memorial Cup to the London Knights. He was later fined.

From Sportsnet:

"I watched the penalties. Our discipline -- I've been complaining all year. I've been in the Quebec league for three years and I've been complaining for three years that we always get the short end of the stick and I'm tired of it. I really am," he said. 

"You show your frustration at the end of the game; I don't want to do that. But it's been over and over and over again so I'm tired of it. That's not just from tonight's game; it's been all playoffs long too ... You can check the numbers."

You can look at Gallant’s rant in two ways: 1) he’s just whiny and a sore loser or 2) he’s a coach who knows how to turn all the attention to him and not on the poor performance of his team. We’ll take option two all day. What a coach.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation