NESN

Mikael Samuelsson Criticizes Alex Burrows for Biting Patrice Bergeron, Says He Should Have ‘Let the Bear Sleep’

Don’t. Poke. The bear.

NESN’s Jack Edwards has been warning people for years, and the Canucks just didn’t listen, although Mikael Samuelsson would have preferred if they did.

During an interview with the Swedish website hockeysverige.se, Samuelsson, who played for the Canucks in 2011, made it clear that he thought Alex Burrows biting Patrice Bergeron during the Stanley Cup Final wasn’t a very smart decision.

“Me, myself was in the press box during those games, but it probably wasn’t very good that [Alexandre] Burrows bit Patrice Bergeron in the finger in the first game. After that, Boston was angry,” Samuelsson said, according to a translation by CanucksArmy.com. “You might say that was the wrong team to fire up. They play a very physical game and I thought it would’ve been better to let the bear sleep, if you know what I mean.”

Sure, we know what you mean, Mikael. After all, the Bruins did play with plenty of fire from there on out, eventually hoisting Lord Stanley after a 4-0 Game 7 win.

Samuelsson was even willing to give credit where it’s due.

“We were close to winning it, we had a 3-2 advantage, but Boston turned it around and deserved to win,” he said.

Samuelsson missed the second half of the 2011 postseason due to injury. He has since been traded to the Florida Panthers, and has said that he didn’t think very highly of Vancouver’s management.

Click here to relive Alex Burrows’ bite on Patrice Bergeron >>

Click here to see Milan Lucic taunt Burrows by offering up some fingers >>

Click here to see Mark Recchi taunt Maxim Lapierre >>