Fights aren’t uncommon during hockey games; sometimes, that’s part of what fans pay to see. It’s a rough sport, and brawls come with the territory. But on Sunday, a fight between goalies during a Maple Leafs/Sabres game in Toronto got a little brutal as the crowd–and shocked players–looked on.
It all began when Toronto’s Jamie Devane and Buffalo’s Corey Tropp began fighting. Tropp is much smaller than Devane, and his teammates may have felt it was a case of the big guy picking on the little guy. That’s when John Scott of the Buffalo Sabres decided to get even and started a fight with Phil Kessel of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“It was pretty stupid, right? He said he was going to jump me,” Kessel said. “What are you going to do? He’s a big boy, so if he’s coming after me, what are you going to do?”
Their swings started a brawl between the Leafs’ Jonathan Bernier and the Sabres’ Ryan Miller, and David Clarkson of the Leafs jumped off the bench to join in, which could get him a 10-game suspension.
“We’re not proud or happy with what went on,” Maple Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle told reporters after the game. “I think David Clarkson made a mistake and now we pay for it.”
Check out the fracas below.
Image: ESPN