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Brashear Showing No Remorse for Hit on Betts

Donald Brashear put a brutal, undeniably dirty hit on the New York Rangers' Blair Betts in last year's playoffs that left Betts with a fractured orbital bone.

Now a member of the Rangers, Brashear doesn't appear to feel sorry.

Despite the six-game suspension he was given for the hit, Brashear said that it helped his team come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the conference quarterfinals.

"It certainly gave our team some wings," Brashear told the New York Daily News at an event last week. "In the playoffs, you want to get that extra edge, and sometimes it's things like that that make a difference. That extra spark got the guys going on the bench."

Brashear made the comments shortly before going on stage for a "Meet the Blueshirts" event for season-ticket holders. When he was introduced to the fans, he was greeted with a smattering of boos. Brashear's response was entirely characteristic of the veteran bruiser.

"Those fans that are booing, I'll take you one by one," Brashear joked.

The 37-year-old managed to put his own career — and that of a general enforcer in the NHL — in the proper perspective.

"[Stuff] happens," he told the News. "I got hit with a stick in the head one time [by Marty McSorley]. I put it behind me and it's over. … When you do it to the opposite team, maybe they'll hate you. And when you're on their team they like it."

He's right. It won't be long before he does take those booing fans one by one, slowly transforming them into Brashear fans.