PITTSBURGH — Charles Barkley said he wanted to see what all the fuss was about.
The NBA legend had been gushing about how much he loves hockey even though his knowledge was limited to the craziness of former Flyers goalie Ron Hextall (“I want to know if my guy really cares”), Blue Jackets defenceman Seth Jones (“because his father played in the NBA”) and what his neighbour, Jeremy Roenick, had been telling him about the sport.
So when NHL commissioner Gary Bettman invited Barkley to come down and watch Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final in Nashville on Monday, he jumped at the chance.