Derrick Walser ...

[kingmo19.1]

It's unfortunate that nobody has come out of this with much credit ... Walser, the Belfast Organisation, our guys for not doing something about it on the night, Simms or the league! Hardly a glowing endorsement for Ice Hockey in the UK!

 

[Finny]

Over the years quite a few opposition players have left the blueline at the end of the first verse thinking that was the end.
They've all pretty much instantly realised their mistake and sheepishly returned to their spot embarrassed. It usually ended up with them raising their hand in apology and getting a chuckle from the crowd.

Even if Walser mistakenly thought the anthem ended halfway through a line there is no excuse for him to continue skating around the ice, especially as he crosses back over the blueline which would have been the ideal time to stop again.

 

[Ocko]

Should've been filled in by one of our players. Gutted our guys don't seem to care as much as us.

 

[DevilDom]

Whilst I would have liked someone to take Walser to task on the night perhpas that is what he wanted thus drawing silly penalties and/or an ejection from the game? Not saying it was right at all but I believe it was pure gamesmanship as he took all the pressure off his team and put it onto himself by becoming the focus of the boos and building a siege mentality for his team. It also put pressure on Dean Smith who is of course Welsh and felt the need to call a 10 min misconduct. This added a sense of injustice for the Giants players and put further pressure on Smith with him utimately folding in the 3rd (IMO) and calling a stack load of soft penalties on the Devils. Some would say that despite being a very low move it was also very clever mind games from Walser as the end result is that we are focussing on him rather than the games ahead and calling out our own players for not taking him to task.

I'm as angry as the next man but I think we all need to move on and focus on the hockey, getting behind our team and making sure we don't let this consume us. Of course our guys care, but would people prefer to see Walser given a beating (but incur some significant penalty minutes and / or ban) or us win as many of the remaining games as possible? The best retribution Lord and the rest of the guys can dish out is making the Giants and Walser watch them lift the league trophy on March 26th!

 

[bdevil]

Bang on.

I felt angry and disrespected when Walser did what he did but at the same time the boos where annoying me because its what he would have expected/wanted. We should out smart idiots who try and play mind games, keep completely silent when he takes the ice or gets the puck, or, use it as motivation to get behind our team more.

On a side note, no one has mentioned his sarcastic clapping of the crowd after Giants 1st goal. if it was an accident he would have held his hand up in apology then not sarcastically clapped the boos.

 

[Rabbitohs4]

Yes I noticed the sarcastic applause when he scored the cock...
he knew what he was doing and anyone thinks he didn't is a fool..
he played here loads of times no excuses and I will boo him every time he touches the puck too.

I love my country and to see it being disrespected like that angers me

 

[fdlf666]

Disrespectful act done deliberately to provoke a reaction from our players. Luckily no-one responded as someone may have got a long suspension.
As he deliberately skates forward crossing the Devils logo, he stamps on the face of the logo, before skating around his team mates bemused as to why the rest of his team are still on the blue line and the National Anthem is still playing,
I am surprised that the Belfast Giants have not placed an official apology on their website or forwarded an apology to the Devils website, for all to see.
Walser and the Giants organisation may think that his twitter apology is sufficient, but his lame excuse is untrue and unacceptable.
Has not only made himself look like an Disrespectful, Ignorant, Pratt, but has brought shame on his team mates, the Giants organisation.

 

[StevenBletsoe]

Didn't want to comment until I had seen the video. Have seen it now. His apology is misguided as it states he thought anthem was over, that doesn't add up. When I heard that was his reason I thought it would have been in the natural break in singing, it wasn't. Then, if he had genuinely thought that was the case, he could have re-entered the line by the bench. Instead he continued to skate behind the blue line and PUT HIS HELMET ON. Sorry, I am a person who gives people the benefit of the doubt, but his excuse (not reason) is BS.

I would hope that some serious bridge building is done between the organisations and a genuine apology is forthcoming.

I hold the importance of my National Anthem very dearly and to see it disrespected in such a way has my blood boiling.

 

[ASHIPP]

I would be very surprised if there are any public statements by either organisation or the Elite League. However, I am sure Todd would not have let this slip by without having a conversation with his opposite number at the Giants - Steve Thornton being a former Devil himself.
Either way, doubt there will be a repeat of that from the Giants. Our Club and team are too classy for tit-for-tat 'retribution'.

However, if the Giants want to be disrespectful, play 'in your face', gritty hockey - let's hope the Devils will be playing even grittier cold-blooded, clinical 'in your heads' hockey in Belfast next Wednesday.

 

[august04]

As he deliberately skates forward crossing the Devils logo, he stamps on the face of the logo.

I didn't notice that on the night but looking at the video, I think you're right. He seems to make a definite stamping motion with his right foot on the face of the Devils logo. I can't believe we let him get away with this incident.

 

[Drawn_to_ice_hockey]

Thought I'd try and think about a bit what happened before getting into what I make of the situation properly because I want to get to the point. I'm still appalled by seeing him skate away from the blue line during the anthem in the video. I'm quite a patriotic person and therefore am passionate about the Welsh language, anthem, and so on and so forth, so I am very insulted by what he did, but this would have been wrong to do during anyone's anthem. Bordy leaving early bothers me and my parents when we go to games I will admit, but it's not as if he starts just skating around in the middle of a phrase in the verse out of disrespect.
I don't believe Walser's 'apology' for a second, however I'm glad that there was so much uproar around what he did as it was wrong and he was fully aware of this when he disrespected the anthem.
I was feeling a bit shy about saying something as well because I get picked on at school for never breaking the school's rule of only speaking Welsh and I get called boring or weird for enjoying Welsh language music, but after seeing that there are other people who feel similarly to me on this issue, I felt more okay about sharing my opinion.

 

[kingmo19.1]

Thought I'd try and think about a bit what happened before getting into what I make of the situation properly because I want to get to the point. I'm still appalled by seeing him skate away from the blue line during the anthem in the video. I'm quite a patriotic person and therefore am passionate about the Welsh language, anthem, and so on and so forth, so I am very insulted by what he did, but this would have been wrong to do during anyone's anthem. Bordy leaving early bothers me and my parents when we go to games I will admit, but it's not as if he starts just skating around in the middle of a phrase in the verse out of disrespect.
I don't believe Walser's 'apology' for a second, however I'm glad that there was so much uproar around what he did as it was wrong and he was fully aware of this when he disrespected the anthem.
I was feeling a bit shy about saying something as well because I get picked on at school for never breaking the school's rule of only speaking Welsh and I get called boring or weird for enjoying Welsh language music, but after seeing that there are other people who feel similarly to me on this issue, I felt more okay about sharing my opinion.

Good on you buddy for sharing your opinion. Certainly nothing wrong in feeling patriotic and hat's off to you for sticking with your guns - I'm sure things will improve for you at school when the other kids mature.

 

[MikeRichards18]

Thought I'd try and think about a bit what happened before getting into what I make of the situation properly because I want to get to the point. I'm still appalled by seeing him skate away from the blue line during the anthem in the video. I'm quite a patriotic person and therefore am passionate about the Welsh language, anthem, and so on and so forth, so I am very insulted by what he did, but this would have been wrong to do during anyone's anthem. Bordy leaving early bothers me and my parents when we go to games I will admit, but it's not as if he starts just skating around in the middle of a phrase in the verse out of disrespect.
I don't believe Walser's 'apology' for a second, however I'm glad that there was so much uproar around what he did as it was wrong and he was fully aware of this when he disrespected the anthem.
I was feeling a bit shy about saying something as well because I get picked on at school for never breaking the school's rule of only speaking Welsh and I get called boring or weird for enjoying Welsh language music, but after seeing that there are other people who feel similarly to me on this issue, I felt more okay about sharing my opinion.

That sucks and I am sorry to hear about your bullying issue, but never feel shy or scared of expressing your opinion especially when it comes to things that you enjoy or hold dear.

Don't feel like you can only give your opinion if others feel the same, it's a forum and different opinions happen all the time and can make for a decent discussion, remember at the end of the day we are all devils fans here!

We had the same rule at my school and to be honest I wasn't very good at obeying that rule but I envy you for doing that and wish I made more of an effort.

But back on topic, being welsh and proud like we all are it was very disrespectful what Walser did.

He is a good player/coach but all respect has been lost regardless of the ' apology ' he gave.

 

[youngbob]

When he first started to move I thought he must be ill in some way, desperate to get off the ice for some reason, until he wheeled round and put his helmet on
Now I've seen the video, he DIDN'T think it was over - it was right in the middle of the second verse, and as has been said he then kicked the centre ice logo
That "apology" on Twitter is obviously the sort of thing a naughty schoolboy comes out with when he's been caught out stealing the other kid's chocolate bar and is told to say sorry
I doubt there's anything more to be done, but I doubt he'll ever get anything but booed here again
Maybe a bunch of flowers for Beth presented on-ice next time they're here?

 

[Kal]

Rewatching it its obviously a "we're the giants and we do what we want, where we want and when we want" kind of statement. They must have taken the steelers arrogance as well as the 4 points last weekend. Definite mind games going on here.

 

[Drawn_to_ice_hockey]

Good on you buddy for sharing your opinion. Certainly nothing wrong in feeling patriotic and hat's off to you for sticking with your guns - I'm sure things will improve for you at school when the other kids mature.

Thanks I only have a couple of years left in school now because I'm a 6th former. Luckily I'm not the sort of person who changes her opinions easily because others disagree and it's nice not to be criticised for my opinions for once lol

 

[august04]

Glad to see the majority of people now seem to see this scumbag for what he is. Seen so many people on twitter defending him and buying his 'apology'. I'm angered by him disrespecting the anthem; him stamping on the Devils logo; our players not dishing out a beating; his 'apology' and lie; people defending him and believing his 'apology'; the lack of public apology from the Giants; the lack of public statements by the Devils, e.g. Lord offering no comment in his interview when he should have called him what he is.

A truly shocking incident that paints a bad picture for the sport in this country. I, and many others, have felt that the Devils have been a soft touch for the majority of this season and that teams have felt they can get away with anything on the ice. Well this was the same but 10x worse and the fact that a player thought he could do that and get away with it is shocking..... however, the fact that he was correct in thinking he could get away with it and nobody did hold him to account is also shocking.

I can't argue with any of that, spot on.

 

[Drawn_to_ice_hockey]

That sucks and I am sorry to hear about your bullying issue, but never feel shy or scared of expressing your opinion especially when it comes to things that you enjoy or hold dear.

Don't feel like you can only give your opinion if others feel the same, it's a forum and different opinions happen all the time and can make for a decent discussion, remember at the end of the day we are all devils fans here!

We had the same rule at my school and to be honest I wasn't very good at obeying that rule but I envy you for doing that and wish I made more of an effort.

But back on topic, being welsh and proud like we all are it was very disrespectful what Walser did.

He is a good player/coach but all respect has been lost regardless of the ' apology ' he gave.

Thanks, I'm not usually one to keep quiet on matters that I feel strongly about but, as is understandable in this situation, the fact that I've often been made to feel weird because of some of my opinions does discourage me from voicing similar ones. As for bullying in general, I've been dealing with that since I stared primary school so it's nothing I can't handle I realise now that it was okay to feel as upset by the issue as I did when it happened because I genuinely do love my country as do many others.

 

[Milky]

A very disappointing episode. Walser has proven himself to be both classless and disrespectful. I'm genuinely surprised by it as I thought he was a decent bloke. Live and learn I guess.

His apology has proven to be a complete cock and bull story after the highlights were posted online. Even Simmsy called him up on it.

And all the Belfast fans changing their arguments after the highlights proved he was lying from 'oh it was a genuine mistake during the gap bit' to 'whatever, there shouldn't be an anthem anyway.....'.

Not that you can blame them I suppose. With a club whose own fans can't agree on having their own anthem, how can we expect them to appreciate how disrespectful his actions were to us. He'd have never made it off the ice in Fife it he tried pulling that crap up there!!!

Doubt we'll see any comment or gesture from The Belfast Giants organisation either but then why would a soulless corporate entity bother? I would love to be proved wrong.

Apparently 'in the land of the Giants everyone is equal' unless you have history, culture, tradition and a National Anthem. If so you can f**k off!!!

 

[Finny]

I didn't notice that on the night but looking at the video, I think you're right. He seems to make a definite stamping motion with his right foot on the face of the Devils logo. I can't believe we let him get away with this incident.

I too couldn't believe that when you mentioned it.

However, I've checked back at previous games this season and he does it every time he leaves the blue line. Home and away. So it's obviously a superstition we'd not noticed before and no disrespectful intent.