Stick tap – (n.) the hockey equivalent to applause.
The most recent stick-tap I can remember was in Saturday’s game where someone got into a fight and the players on the bench tapped their sticks when the refs broke it up. They tapped, not because the fight was over, but because their teammate had stood up for himself and for his teammate, who had suffered what the fighter perceived as a not cool body check.
In a way, fighting could be considered hockey chivalry. You defend the honor of your comrade. It’s the code. It’s part of why I love hockey. The video is not of a stick tap, but more of the retaliatory fight. Sorry. I couldn’t find a video of a stick tap.
