""That's the culture of our team," Roy said. "We made the decision not to play him tonight. Barzy's not happy - he doesn't feel good about it. He respects the decision, he understands it. He was really good about it." Roy noted that discipline of this nature isn't new to him personally, recalling a similar instance from his playing days. "It happened to me when I was in Colorado," he said. "Different way, but I missed a practice and missed two games."
"Barzal took part in the morning skate as usual, but the news of his benching didn't emerge until moments before Roy's pregame media availability. When asked whether the policy of scratching players for lateness was new this season, Roy made clear that it was a club-wide standard, not his own invention. "No, it's not my standard," he said. "It's the organization's standard." Roy confirmed Barzal will return to the lineup Friday against the Washington Capitals "with a clean slate.""
Patrick Roy announced Mathew Barzal as a healthy scratch after Barzal arrived late to the rink, reinforcing an accountability-first culture. Barzal had taken part in the morning skate, but the benching was revealed shortly before Roy's pregame availability. Roy emphasized that the lateness policy is an organization-wide standard and recalled a similar disciplinary instance from his own playing days in Colorado. Barzal accepted the decision respectfully and is expected to return Friday against the Washington Capitals "with a clean slate." The team plans to recall a forward before the game, with several candidates under consideration.
Read at Eyes On Isles
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]