Ron MacLean (left) and Don Cherry on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada. CBCCBC
The Vancouver Canucks are not whining over criticism from CBC's Don Cherry that the NHL team is disliked because the players whine at officials.
"That stuff doesn't really matter to us," defenceman Kevin Bieksa said Monday after a Canucks practice. "What matters is what's inside this room."
Canucks forward Alex Burrows said Cherry is entitled to his opinion.
"We don't really care what people say about us on the outside," said Burrows.
"Obviously Don Cherry, we have a lot of respect for what he's done through the years. We try to focus on what we have to do."
Cherry made his comments during Saturday's Coach's Corner segment on Hockey Night in Canada. The Stanley Cup finalist Canucks have started the season playing .500 hockey but Cherry said fans are wrong to lay all the blame on goaltender Roberto Luongo.
"Why does everyone hate Vancouver?" Cherry asked.
He then showed several clips of Canuck players complaining to on-ice officials.
"Stop whining," Cherry said. "Start paying the price.
"Quit blaming the goaltenders and you'll start winning again."
The Canucks beat the Washington Capitals 7-4 Saturday night. Forward Ryan Kesler said Cherry's rant wasn't an inspiration.
"No, definitely not," said Kesler. "We don't watch that guy in this locker room."
The Canadian Press