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Fans relish opportunity to get back at Don Cherry for 'hot dog' comments

But please don't throw hot dogs on the ice during playoff games, say Soo Greyhounds

Saultites are doing their best to dog Don Cherry following his infamous ‘hot dog’ comments about the Soo Greyhounds during the first round of the OHL playoffs.

Fans are even putting a little mustard on their disses.

The Burger Don posted a photo of the establishment’s signage on it Facebook page which reads, “Hey Don Cherry, we sell hot dogs. Mustard available.”

The restaurant is also providing fans with a 50 per cent discount on hot dogs during game days.

A hand drawn sign that reads ‘Soo Hot Dogs’ has appeared on the window of the Gore Street Cafe. Al Bjornaa, whose partner is the owner of the cafe, was outside of the Essar Centre Thursday night selling merchandise bearing the hot dog inspired take on the Soo Greyhounds logo.

He says that it’s funny how Cherry - who hot dogs it in a sense with his trademark suits - is calling out players from the Soo Greyhounds and referring to them as ‘hot dogs.’

“I just thought it was a funny comment, and an even funnier T-shirt,” said Bjornaa. “I thought it’d be fun to make some ‘Soo Hot Dog’ T-shirts and sell them outside of the hounds game tonight.”

Inside the Essar Centre, the team has also been hearing some buzz about fans potentially throwing hot dogs on the ice.

Shaylan Spurway, manager of game day operations and merchandising for the Soo Greyhounds, says fans are not permitted to bring outside food and beverages into the arena, and that fans who are caught throwing things on the ice will be immediately removed from the building.

Although Spurway says the hockey club has faith in its fans to not throw weiners - and all the accoutrements that make a hot dog, including mustard - on to the ice.

“You would have all situations where it could be a pack of hot dogs to a hot dog that’s fully dressed, and that’s not an ideal situation for the ice,” Spurway said.

“It could result in delay of game penalties, fines for delaying the game, because we would have to clean up the ice, not to mention it would also interfere with the ice surface itself which would be of no benefit to our players, our team and not what the fans I think are looking to do,”

“We are hoping that they’re just not going to do it.”

Spurway says that if anything, Don Cherry calling the Soo Greyhounds ‘hot dogs’ has simply put the team on the radar more than it was already.

So frankly, the last thing the team needs is the fans launching processed meat projectiles during a hockey game.   

“We are aware that people are planning on wearing costumes and poking a bit of fun at the comments that were made, but like Drew [Bannister] said the other day, we’re here to play hockey, so we’re hoping that our fans will stick on our side with that and not participate in the throwing of hot dogs.”

In other words, let the games play out - even if you are relishing the opportunity to throw the hot dogs.


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James Hopkin

About the Author: James Hopkin

James Hopkin is a reporter for SooToday in Sault Ste. Marie
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