The president of Canadian ice hockey club the Vancouver Canucks has labelled Wexford hurler Lee Chin’s remarks about the team’s drinking culture as “baseless and false”.
There’s been a major backlash in the Canadian press to Chin’s assertion that the players drank before games.
In an Irish Times interview, the 24-year-old – who spent a week training with the Canucks as part of The Toughest Trade – said: “The drinking culture they have, I couldn’t believe it. They were lowering pints the day before a game. And that was sitting at lunch.
“It was after we played a game on a Sunday, and there was a lunch with the alumni team on the Monday. I was invited, with Erik Gudbransonm, and one of his team mates beside him. I had a glass a water. Erik was injured, but I asked his team mate if he was playing tomorrow and he said ‘yeah, what’s the big deal?’”
The article has caused a real stir in Canada, with Canucks president Trevor Linden even releasing a statement on Chin’s comments.
"Our team recently accepted a request from Lee Chin and a TV show for access to an individual on-ice skills session and a game with Canucks alumni," Linden said.
"We were disappointed to learn of the comments made in an Irish Times article about his experience. The assumptions made by Lee Chin on hockey culture and reported by the Irish Times are baseless and categorically false. They do not reflect our players, their conduct or the culture of our game in any way."
Former Canucks goalie Alex Auld trained with a hurling club Faythe Harriers as part of the TV show.
The episode of The Toughest Trade airs tonight on RTE 2, at 10.35pm.
Good to see @LeeChin8 spreading the hurling gospel in the @Canucks dressing room! #TheToughest Trade - Episode 2, Friday 10.35pm, @RTE2 pic.twitter.com/eJRLol6xOK
— AIB_GAA (@AIB_GAA) March 7, 2017
