Bruce Cassidy is a fan of traditions.
We saw that during the Bruins head coach’s press conference following a 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Monday, when he said he approved of the “Yankees suck” chant that filled TD Garden. Another tradition he’s fond of is actually throwing hats on the ice when a player scores a hat trick.
Patrice Bergeron netted his third goal of Monday’s win toward the end of the third period, and although the hometown crowd went nuts, the hats didn’t seem to flood the ice like they so often do.
Cassidy took notice of a particular fan who was sitting behind the Black and Gold’s bench.
“I looked behind the bench and there was a guy pounding on the glass, giving me the thumbs up,” Cassidy told The Athletic’s Joe McDonald. “I was like, ‘C’mon. Throw your hat.’ No one had thrown a hat.
“We were sleeping with only four guys on the ice (during Ottawa’s first goal). Both teams were a little sleepy,” he added. “The fans were sleepy, too, because no one was throwing a hat out there. It’s a great tradition.”
We’re unsure if the fan ended up throwing his hat to congratulate Bergeron, but we’re willing to bet if Cassidy was wearing one he would have added it to the pile.
