Andrew Ference comes clean (Photo Credit: Steph Phillips)

Of course all Bruins fans remember the turning point of the Montreal Canadiens series in the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The point where Andrew Ference scored the game-tying goal in Montreal and ceremoniously flipped the middle finger to the crowd present at the Belle Centre. For those of you who don’t remember the event, here is a short little recap for you:

Immediately after the incident that was caught on screens worldwide, Ference claimed to have an ‘equipment malfunction,’ the malfunction being one finger on his left glove getting stuck in an upright position as he faced the fans. Ference the following day stated:

“I was pumping my first. Like I told (Mike Murphy, the NHL’s senior vice president of hockey operations), it was an unintentional bird.  I obviously apologize for it. It wasn’t meant to insult anybody – especially a whole row of cameras in the Belle Centre and the fans sitting there. That’s definitely not the intention.”(via Patriotledger.com)

Ference ended up being fined $250,000 for the incident by the National Hockey League for the ‘unintentional incident,’ that occurred in Boston’s 5-4, overtime victory, which tied the best-of-7 series with the Canadiens at 2.

Recently Ference came bursting into the social media world joining Twitter as @ferknuckle and blogging for the Good Men Project.  In his first blog entry titled “Things I Have Learned,” Ference touches on the finger incident stating:

Accountability is lacking in our world. Just look at nuisance lawsuits, or the finger-pointing of politicians around the globe. I am guilty myself of trying to blame a middle-fingered celebration after a goal in Montreal on a glove malfunction. In round one of the playoffs between two of the fiercest rivals in our sport, I scored a tying goal in the enemy’s building, only to have my fist pump turn into a sign language that crosses all borders. Facing the media and a possible suspension after the fact proved to be too much for my self-accountability. Self-preservation is a powerful thing… it is easier to place blame elsewhere and overlook your own responsibilities.(via Things I Have Learned #1)

Ference’s actions on and off the ice are without question admirable, despite the fact that it took the better part of a year to come clean about this particular event. The fact of the matter remains that Andrew Ference and his actions are especially commendable. While it may be a better late than never situation, the assistant captain is proving just why he is deserving of the ‘A’ he wears proudly on his chest every night.