McSorley shocked at own actions in stick-swinging incident at Brashear's head

  The longtime enforcer -- once known as Wayne Gretzky's protector -- left Vancouver forward Donald Brashear unconscious and bloody with a two-handed swinging slash to the head with less than five seconds left in the Canucks' 5-2 win Monday night against the Boston Bruins.

  Brashear was taken from the ice on a stretcher and diagnosed with a concussion.

  "I'm in shock with what I did," said a contrite McSorley. "That's not the way I want to be remembered as a hockey player.

  "I have to reflect upon what I did. I have to come to terms with what I did."

  McSorley was handed a match penalty for attempting to injure. He could face additional stiff punishment from the league similar to a 21-game suspension the NHL levied on Washington's Dale Hunter in 1993 for a blindside check of Pierre Turgeon after a goal in a playoff game. Hunter's penalty was the longest suspension given for on-ice violence.

  Brashear, who fell backward and hit his head on the ice after being struck, was alert and walking around in the dressing room after the game. He was to be re-evaluated throughout the night.

  McSorley and Brashear had a fight just two minutes into the game.

  Later in the period, Brashear fell awkwardly on Boston goalie Byron Dafoe during play in front of the Bruins' net. Dafoe left on a stretcher and was on crutches after the game.

  McSorley said he was trying to pick a fight with Brashear as the game was ending.

  "I've done that with so many guys, so many times, but I don't know what happened," he said. "There's no excuse.

  "I got way too carried away. It was a real dumb play."

  He said he had "embarrassed my hockey team" and apologized to Brashear "and all the fans who had to watch that."

  Vancouver police were reported deluged with calls from irate fans and "looking into" the incident.

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