Team USA explains «trash can» controversy after gold medal win against Canada

There is an explanation! Is it good enough for you? #BarrelGate

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Published 3 years ago
Team USA explains «trash can» controversy after gold medal win against Canada
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The United States defeated Canada 2-0 to capture its fifth gold medal at the World Junior Championship and first since 2017. There is no doubt that goalie Spencer Knight, who turned aside all 34 shots he faced for his third shutout of the event, and the Americans deserved the win, but they were accused of sore winners on social media when insiders and reporters on site, including TSN’s Ryan Rishaug and Scott Wheeler of The Athletic, saw how an American player decided to grab a trash can with the Team Canada logo on it, dragging it across the ice and placing it in the photo.

Wheeler was not able to see which player dragged the trash can onto the ice, but on the video shared by Rishaug, we see that Spencer Knight is the one pushing the can on the ice to one of his teammates to get it in the picture. 


Rishaug wanted some explanations from the USA staff and was explained that the team had a motto - “one barrel at a time”.   This was their last barrel and they’ve been putting team logos on them each game.  That was the barrel for this game and the reason they brought it out.  They say it wasn’t a trash can.

Forward Trevor Zegras, who was named tournament most valuable player, had the same explanation when asked about it in his postgame interview. He couldn’t fully explain the concept of the barrel, but used the same motto. 


Head coach Nate Leaman used his Twitter account to confirm that it was a barrel to portray their motto since the start of the tournament and is adamant there was no disrespect to Team Canada.

"Just to be transparent. It was barrel on the ice with our team after the game. It was motivation for our team to take the tournament one game at a time. I am sure every team had something of motivation. The barrel was ours. No disrespect to Canada who is a great team."

Some fans remain quite unhappy with the decision, saying it looked like a trash can and believe the move was classless. 


Is their explanation believable to you? 

Source: TSN