CHICAGO — Troy Dignan brought his signage A-game to United Center for Tuesday night's/Wednesday morning's Game 4 between the Blackhawks and Predators.
It was 18-year-old Dignan's sign "Ribeiro Listens To Nickelback" that was captured on Comcast SportsNet during goalie Scott Darling's interview following the Hawks' 3-2 triple-overtime win that gave Chicago a 3-1 series lead.
The sign made fun of Nashville forward Mike Ribeiro, who Dignan said "has been a nuisance in this series." Photos of Dignan holding the red-lettered sign quickly were beamed across Twitter.
@BarstoolBigCat Mike Ribeiro listens to Nickelback. pic.twitter.com/owo9YNuknn
— Matty Ice (@ImMattClark) April 22, 2015"I didn't expect any attention at all with the sign," Dignan wrote in an email in between classes at Orland Park's Sandburg High School, where he's a senior. "Really the only thing I was hoping for was a chance to be on the Jumbotron, but being on national TV was definitely a bonus.
"I'm not really sure if Ribeiro listens to Nickelback, but it sure seems to fit his personality," Dignan added. "It's funny because it is common in social media for people to make fun of Nickelback and others who listen to the band, so I took my chance to have a little fun with Ribeiro. ... It's also cool to think that my sign is making so many hockey fans laugh around the country."
Justin Breen says Dignan was just hoping to get on the scoreboard:
Dissing Nickelback, a Canadian band, is nothing new. Grantland called them one of the world's most hated bands, and earlier this year, Jesse Carey listened to them for 168 hours straight for a charity promotion.
After Brent Seabrook's winning goal, Dignan said he walked down from his seats in 10th row of Section 101 to behind the Blackhawks' bench, where Darling was being interviewed.
"I saw people to my left on the Jumbotron so I knew that it was my chance to show everyone in the arena my sign," Dignan said. "Little did I know that people everywhere who were watching the game saw it, too."
It's one thing to trash talk... But this is over the top. Absolutely disgusting. #StayClassyChicago #NHL pic.twitter.com/VEcKsh6dCu
— The Hockey Chat (@TheHockeyChat) April 22, 2015It was the first game Dignan attended this season, but he's hoping to visit the UC for another playoff tilt.
"I plan on attending another playoff game in the future so keep your eyes peeled for another humorous sign," he said. "I definitely have some good signs brewing in my head right now but I don't want to give the ideas away. Sadly I don't have the money to travel to Nashville for Game 5."
Game 5 is Thursday at 8:30 p.m. in Nashville.
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