It’s not the first time Johnny Gaudreau has been slashed.
But this particular one — the 21st or the 11th hack, depending on how you analyzed Tuesday’s post-game footage — was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Or, in the Calgary Flames winger’s case, the one that fractured his finger and sidelined him for the next six weeks or so.
And it’s also one that has opened up dialogue in the National Hockey League regarding unnecessary hacks, slashes, and general treatment of the star players that makes this sport what it is.
“I think it’s part of the game,” Gaudreau was saying on Friday, the first time he has addressed the media since the incident occurred in the third period of Tuesday’s 1-0 win over the Minnesota Wild.