Phaneuf With His Side Of The Story

from Vicki Hall of the Calgary Herald via the National Post, Go ahead. Call Calgary Flames defenceman Dion Phaneuf a coward for refusing to drop the gloves in the aftermath of his vicious open-ice hit that sent New York Islanders forward Kyle Okposo to hospital. Tell Phaneuf he violated the unwritten NHL code by declining the many challenges to fight from Okposo’s teammates. People have the right to their own opinions, Phaneuf said. But so does he. “I felt it was a clean hit,” Phaneuf said Friday, a day after he laid out Okposo during the Flames’ 5-4 pre-season win over the Islanders. “That’s part of my game. I have to play that way.” continued