MONTREAL -- Keith Ballard might want to stay off the streets of Prague for say, the next quarter century or so.
His accidental gonging of teammate Tomas Vokoun with his stick in a fit of rage over a goal against the Florida Panthers won't win him many friends on the Czech national team with the Olympics around the corner.
TSN reported yesterday that Vokoun suffered no internal or neurological damage as a result of Ballard's hit.
Maple Leaf defenceman and Czech team leader Tomas Kaberle's only thoughts yesterday were for Vokoun's well being, while members of the Leafs and Canadiens were still shocked by the mishap.
"A lot of things happen in this game where guys react with their emotions," Toronto defenceman Jeff Finger said. "All of us have broken a stick, smashed it off the glass, kicked the boards, threw a water bottle, something stupid like that. I have seen someone get their hand slashed on the top of the boards when someone came back to the bench and smashed his stick and he had no glove on."
"I would assume he didn't mean to hit his goalie in the head and I'm sure he's sorry he did."
Defenceman Francois Beauchemin, who just had a lesson in self discipline when teammate Mikhail Grabovski tried to start a fight with him this week in practice, recalled doing a similar act of demolition after his Anaheim Ducks lost in overtime in Boston.
"I smashed it on the post, but anyone who thinks of doing it might want to make sure the goalie is out of the way," Beauchemin advised.
Luke Schenn was stunned to see Vokoun being taken off the ice.
"That was something I've never seen before and hopefully you never see again," Schenn said. "Like everyone else's reaction, it was pretty hard to believe. It was a freak accident and you know he didn't mean it."
Montreal coach Jacques Martin used to be the Panthers' general manager.
"Both are very competitive individuals," Martin noted of Ballard and Vokoun, "but I've never seen that before."
Toronto goalies Jonas Gustavsson and Vesa Toskala said a stopper never expects to be felled by friendly fire.
"Of course, it's not good to slash your own goalie," the rookie Gustavsson said. "I hope he's all right."
"I don't know what to think," the veteran Toskala said. "I've broken my stick on the post a few times, but never hit anybody."
LANCE.HORNBY@SUNMEDIA.CA
