Nearly a week has gone by since Lias Andersson infamously threw his silver medal following Sweden’s 3-1 championship loss at the hands of Team Canada.
Various members in the hockey community have shared their thoughts on his response to the loss, but perhaps the most important words came from his future head coach and New York Rangers bench boss Alain Vigneault. When asked about the incident, the 56-year-old shared that he loved Andersson’s compete but noted that there are also behaviour and conducts to follow.
The following is an excerpt from the New York Times:
“You want your players to compete, to be competitive, to not like to lose. So, all that part I like about it,” Vigneault said before his Rangers beat the Coyotes, 2-1 in a shootout, on Saturday night at Gila River Arena. “[But] there’s behavior and conduct. But he’s a young man, and he wants to win. So that’s real positive.”
Vigneault’s response draws similarities to Lias’ father Niklas, who also competed for Sweden and captured two silver medals in his day. Niklas pointed out Lias’ desire to win, but realizes his throw may not have been the best response to the loss.
The following is an excerpt from hockeysverige.se and was translated from Swedish to English.
"Yes, what do you say about it? He was there to win. Then maybe he did not have to put it that way, but that was his feeling just then. I think he quite well explained how much he would win in his way. Then I cannot say I thought it was amazing to throw it up. He could have given it to someone besides maybe."
Andersson provided a response of his own, claiming that he had no interest in keeping his medal after capturing silver at the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Tournament.
There’s no denying Andersson’s competitive nature, especially after TSN's Bob McKenzie revealed the young Swede played through the semi-final and final with a separated shoulder. Although some may disagree with the throw, at least Andersson's competitive edge caught the attention of his future coach.
(H/T New York Post)
