Montreal Canadiens content creator assaulted after playoff game in Buffalo
The Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres began their second-round playoff series on Wednesday.
With passionate fans on both sides of the border, the matchup was sure to deliver fireworks off the ice. But a line was crossed after the Sabres’ Game 1 victory in Buffalo.
Alex Rougas and Cédrik Séguin of HFTV, a wildly popular social media channel for fans of the Montreal Canadiens, rolled into town.
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They had fun outside the arena before the game, and planned to interview fans post-game, just as they did in Montreal and Tampa during the first round.
But that’s when Séguin says he was assaulted.
“A fan assaulted me from behind during our post-game coverage and spat at our cameraman,” Séguin said following the game.
“We’ve been going to NHL rinks in our team’s colours for over five years now, celebrating the love of the game and capturing the spirit of both fanbases — win or lose. We’ve visited more than 10 arenas across North America, and in all that time, we have never experienced what happened last night.”
Séguin said that while the incident was captured on video, he chose not to press charges.
“We shouldn’t be resorting to violence over hockey, and we don’t want the same thing happening for Game 2 when we’re just trying to do our job,” Rougas told Daily Hive. “Both Sabres and Habs fans are welcome to come, we always do that, and it won’t change because of what happened.”
Séguin was clear in his statement that he is not looking to fuel anger or division, and that the response from Sabres fans was “overwhelmingly good.”
“Many of your fans stepped in immediately to pull him off me, and I am genuinely grateful for that. It speaks to the character of your fanbase far more than the actions of one individual ever could,” Séguin said.
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