Whether I am a fan of the Leafs (I am not) or not, hockey is, among the major sports, a game with a certain degree of honour and gentlemaniness. Very happy to see things like playoff handshakes, etc. The athletes by and large conduct themselves much more professionally than the thugs you see in basketball or football. The fact that we have a trophy for gentlemanly conduct speaks to the general integrity of the game of hockey.
Which is why as a hockey fan, I found Marchand's antics despicable, and particularly as the captain of his team, he has much more of an ambassadorial role to fill, and quite a bit of that is predicated by leading by example. He certainly did no favours for both his detractors and fans alike. I certainly get that drawing penalties is part of the game, but there are ways to do that, that are in line with the spirit of the game, rather than bush league antics. This is one of the reasons I cannot stomach soccer in any spectator form. There are quite a few Bruins players who would not be caught doing this in a million years. I am sure they are not exactly proud of their "leader" today.