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Hockey has been my life. However, football is also important to my family and me. My son, Chris Jr., is an offensive lineman at Villanova University. My son-in-law, Will Fries, plays guard for the Minnesota Vikings. I’ve been a Philadelphia Eagles ticket package owner for years. Last night, the Birds opened their 2025 regular season with a 24-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Whether you watched the game or not, you’ve no doubt heard by now what happened in the game’s opening seconds. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter chirped each other (AKA trash-talked, engaged in “gamesmanship”, or whatever you want to call it). At any rate, Prescott spat toward Carter. Carter retaliated by deliberately spitting on Prescott.
The officials missed what Prescott did. Carter, however, wasn’t so lucky. He was caught. The officials promptly ejected him from the game. Rightfully so. Now he faces a fine and potential supplementary discipline from the NFL. As US Hockey Hall of Famer Paul Stewart likes to joke, “He got more than he expectorated.”
Kidding aside, spitting on an opponent is one of the most vile things an athlete can do. I don’t want to hear about “the heat of battle”. There’s no excuse for it.
Spitting incidents in hockey
It’s happened a handful of times in hockey, too. My former Philadelphia Flyers teammate, Chris Gratton, allegedly spit on Stewy during a game in the 1998-99 season. Gratts was no longer with the Flyers by that point. He was back with the Tampa Bay Lightning. I don’t know if it was intentional or accidental. I just remember Paul believed it was deliberate and Gratton insisted that he had no recall and, if it did happen, it was an accident.
I don’t know. I wasn’t there and I don’t remember seeing the video. I just know that Chris got suspended three games by the NHL.
Garnet Hathaway (then with the Washington Capitals) was involved in a spitting incident with Erik Gudbranson (Vancouver Canucks) back in 2019. Hathaway responded to a sucker punch while the two were being (ineffectively) separated by the officials during a multi-player altercation behind the net. The situation started a moment or two before a Washington goal and escalated right after the Capitals scored. Hath received a three-game suspension from the NHL.
History lesson from “Professor Stewart”
Anyone who knows Paul Stewart can testify to these two facts. First of all, the man is like a walking encyclopedia about the history of the rule book in various sports. Second, Stewy has a seemingly endless array of personal stories to add to any sports topic. Hockey Hot Stove enlisted Paul to tell you more than you’d ever want to know about spitting in sports (just kidding, Stew).
Kid, clean that up
Back when I was a student-athlete at the University of Pennsylvania and a rink attendant during Philadelphia Flyers’ practices at the Class of 1923 Rink, there were several Flyers players who were tobacco chewers. Although (head coach) Fred Shero was himself a cigarette chain smoker, he merely tolerated the chewing of tobacco by his players. Being young and being hockey players, the chewers on the team tested how far they could push it with Freddy.
One day, Shero couldn’t help but notice disgusting brown puddles and lumps on the ice just in front of the benches. He was rarely one to raise his voice to a yell, but this one bothered him. He blew the whistle, stopping practice and loudly demanded that it never happen again.
Then I was summoned and tasked with getting a scraper and removing the tobacco juice from the ice.
Freddy said, “Kid, clean that up.”
What could I say? I just said, “Yes, Mr. Shero.” I had to do it.
I remember it like it was yesterday, not 50 years ago. It was disgusting. It was absolutely revolting. Anyone who’s ever been on a hockey bench or a baseball dugout can testify. Do yourself a favor. Don’t look down!
Skating in a rain storm
When I was a referee, sometimes it was like skating through a rainstorm when I skated in front of the benches. Accidentally — at least usually it was an accident — players would spit out water or hock loogies, right on whoever skated past at just the wrong moment.
My referee sweaters went through even more laundry cycles than my team jerseys did during my playing days.
Burkie’s memo
Remember the Roberto Alomar incident in baseball during the 1990s? Alomar spit on (umpire) John Hirschbeck. It happened in 1996. Alomar argued a call and Hirscheck rang him up and ejected him. Alomar retaliated by spitting on Hirschbeck. It made national news. ESPN ran the clip over and over again.
Anyway, the NHL has always been a reactionary league. After the Alomar incident in baseball, Brian Burke (working for the league at the time) put out a memo before the next season. Any player involved in a spitting incident would get an automatic 20-game suspension. Remember the “Gross Misconduct” penalty? It doesn’t exist anymore. The NHL folded it in with the Match Penalty category.
At the time, though, the Rule Book had a penalty category called Gross Misconduct. It was for doing things like spitting or hair pulling. That sort of stuff. Gross Misconduct carried an automatic three-game suspension.
(DId the NHL enforce the memo?) Funny you should ask. The answer is no. I’ll get to that.
The Gratton incident
I think this was Gratton’s second or third game back in Tampa after Philly traded him back to the Lightning. I’m not sure. Anyway, I reffed the game along with Dan Marouelli. There was a scrum after the whistle between Darcy Tucker and Vaclav Varada (Buffalo Sabres). It happened with about seven or eight seconds left in the game.
Gratton tried to get involved. I moved in to get him out of there. So Gratton got in my face, screaming at me. I didn’t put up with that kind of [stuff]. We exchanged words. Chris spit on my sweater. I tossed him from the game.
The old Gross Misconduct penalty didn’t apply to doing something to a ref or linesman. If you spit on another player, that was gross misconduct. If you spit on a ref, it’s Abuse of an Official.
That’s still on the books. There’s a section of that rule that carries an automatic three-game suspension. It’s a three-gamer for physically or verbally demeaning an on-ice official while in the act of trying to get involved in — or to continue — an altercation on the ice.
Anyhow, I figured Gratton would get at least the three-game suspension. But Burkie’s memo didn’t specify whether the 20-game suspension was only for a player spitting on another player. Remember, the Alomar-Hirschbeck thing in baseball triggered the NHL memo. I believed it applied to spitting on officials, too.
Now, I wasn’t stupid. I KNEW the NHLPA would object if the league gave Gratton 20 games. For one thing, 20 games wasn’t in the rule book. It was just a memo from the league, not a new rule. Thing is, this was the first real test case for the memo to see if the NHL was serious about it.
They weren’t. Gratton got three games. So much for the memo, right? It died on the vine. Now here’s the funny part. I’ll never forget this. The NHL announced Gratton’s three-game suspension for Abuse of an Official on December 25, 1998. Merry Christmas, Chris. Santa brought him more than he expectorated!
There needs to be one standard
I played in the WHA and the NHL before I became a ref. I saw a lot of crazy things. Hell, I DID a lot of crazy thing. But, to me, spitting is over the line. I’d say it’s childish but even most kids know better because their parents taught them better. My grandfather (US Hockey Hall of Famer Bill Stewart) was an NHL referee and NHL head coach then umpired in Major League baseball for decades. My father (Bill Stewart Jr.) was a prolific high school and college hockey, baseball and football referee in the Boston area.
I can’t even imagine how Grampy and Dad would have reacted if I ever spit on another player or an official. Fought them under the stands after the game? Maybe. Spit on them? Never.
Here’s the thing. Take the Gratton incident that I had. He got three games for spitting. Now, how was the NHL going to give Gratts three games and give someone else a 20-game suspension or no suspension at all? There needs to be one standard that’s in the book and then enforced. As disgusting as it is, spitting incidents are like most anything else in that old Gross Misconduct category. Set a formal standard and enforce it. Otherwise, the discipline standard becomes, “How much publicity did it get?”
Therien’s Take: Final Thoughts
Stewy, in his unique way, expressed exactly how I feel about things like the Carter-Prescott incident. Zero tolerance. It’s not just gross, it’s also the height of disrespect. Not just disrespect for the other person. It’s also disrespect for the game and for your own team. It’s a really stupid and needless thing to get ejected or suspended for doing. It’s also totally avoidable.
I’ll close this week’s Take with one final Stewy story. It’s not quite about spitting, but close (and disgusting) enough.
“I was at an autograph signing event a few years ago. I saw Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Both guys were friendly. Afterwards, someone asked me if I was afraid Marchand would lick me. I said, ‘Nah, I’m a retired ref. Marshy is allergic to referees.”
Great stuff Bundy (and Stewy)!
Any win over the Cowboys is a good win! Carter is kind of a punk. But so is Prescott.
Anyway, I forgot Hathaway had a spitting incident when he played for the Caps. Whoever it is, it’s gross.
Players chirp all the time, but spitting on another player is disgusting. Carter should be suspended, not just fined because he can afford the fine. Having him sit out some games will hopefully teach him a lesson his parent’s should have taught him years ago.