Minor hockey player booted for not signing flag

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Sea Dog hoofed

I thought this was about some dumbass minor league coach who doesn't get what 'freedom of expression' means- then I found this from a close follower of the Sea Dogs.

Dave Bouchard was in no way part of the Sea Dogs plans beyond the Christmas trade deadline. For those wondering why he was not cut for poor performance before this incident, it was because the team was hoping someone would cough up a late round draft pick, but they couldn't even get that.

As a 20 year old he is supposed to be one of the better players on the team, and a leader. He was none of these for the last month or more. All his points came at the start of the year with no production recently at all. He leads the team with the worst plus/minus rating we have. He was supposed to be a "grinder" style of forward, but I can't remember him throwing a big hit at all, all year, and a times would shy away from the boards in the defensive zone if it would mean taking a hit to get the puck out of our end.

Add in some off-ice issues such as being out late on nights before games and it's clear to see why he was on his way out. Even Bouchard said he had no problem with signing the flag (something which the Canadian Armed Forces asked if the team would have the players do by the way). His refusal to sign it just caused another problem in the dressing room. He was off the team Saturday night, but showed up at the Sunday afternoon game in Moncton, sat in the stands for a while, then promptly ran to the RDS reporters there to state he was released because he wouldn't sign the flag. This of course sends the reporters after Beaulieu for comments, after a game which the Sea Dogs just lost 10-2 and was chalked full of penalties and bad plays and calls.

All Bouchard's refusal to sign the flag did was cause the team to decide to let him go immediately instead of holding out hope someone would waste a draft pick on this guy. That keeping him around any longer would just create more problems and keeping him around any longer wouldn't be worth anything they might get in return from another team.