Mayor Nenshi criticizes the rhetoric in hockey’s Battle of Alberta
Posted January 17, 2020 1:55 pm.
Last Updated January 17, 2020 4:28 pm.
(CALGARY) 660 NEWS – At first hesitant to offer any opinion in the ongoing ‘Battle of Alberta’ between the Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi reconsidered his position.
Instead of choosing sides, mayor Nenshi criticized the rhetoric he’s been hearing in the days since the dust-up between the Flames’ Matthew Tkachuk and Oilers forward Zack Kassian.
“One thing that I’m surprised no one has talked about is the remarkably misogynistic language that has been used in all the commentary on this.”
On January 11, Tkachuk threw a pair of big hits on Kassian who responded by throwing punches at Tkachuk while he tried to shield himself from the onslaught.
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Nenshi says there are better ways to talk about the skirmish between the two players.
“Brian Burke once told me the English language is full of creative and inventive ways to swear at people,” says Nenshi, “You don’t have to reach for words that demean women or that are homophobic in having these conversations.”
Nenshi did offer his approval to the ongoing war of donations that has broken out in both Calgary and Edmonton as fans trolling one another using billboards have turned it in to an opportunity to raise money for charity.
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