Bob Hartley goes off on KHL's Head of Refereeing following loss in KHL playoffs (w/video)

Former NHL coach Bob Hartley was always a colourful character, and he hasn't really changed his ways since going to the KHL. Hartley is the head coach of Omsk Avangard and the team is currently in the first round of the KHL playoffs, taking on Ak Bars. Hartley was in a bad mood following Avangard's 4-3 loss in overtime in game five. It wasn't necessarily the loss that Hartley was angry about. It was what he felt was a blown call late in the game.

Hartley and his goalkeeping coach Sergei Zvyagin hung around the arena following the loss to talk to Alexei Gorsky, the head of the KHL's Department of Refereeing. Hartley felt Ak Bars' Steven Kampfer should have received more than a two minute minor after leaving Avangard's Semyon Chistyakov with a "mouth full of blood" following a collision. The discussion starts out amicably enough, but you can see Hartley getting increasingly frustrated as it goes on. He eventually gives Gorsky the "bras d'honneur" or "Italian Salute", generally meant as a way to say "f*ck you" or "go f*ck yourself." Gorsky just shakes his head after getting the gesture, while Hartley walks away, although he does turn around and says a few other things before he's completely out of the picture.

Hartley won a Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2001, and the KHL's Gagarin Cup with Avangard last season. He also coached Atlanta and Calgary in the NHL. No word yet on whether this interaction will lead to a fine.

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