A couple of seconds were enough for a real scandal to break out in Madison Square Garden. The scene seemed taken from a fiction, but it was not like that, because one of the most anticipated matches of a new day of the NHLin the United States, the clash between New York Rangers y New Jersey Devilstwo powerful franchises in the ice hockey universe, captured everyone’s attention because five simultaneous fights broke out after the whistle that started the game.
Everything got out of control. Although it is common for two players to end up beating each other in this discipline, what was incredible was that it was so clear that everyone was willing to unleash the pitched battle. So much so that almost all the field players got involved and the fights lasted for several minutes.
According to the American media, there was a hot climate between the two teams and unfinished business between two players: Matt Rempeof the Rangers, and MacDermid complained, from New Jersey. The thing is that on March 11, the Devils played against the New York franchise, also in Madison, and Rempe rejected MacDermid’s offer to fight at the beginning of the game. But the problems have been going on since February 22, when Rempe bumped into Nathan Bastian, which left him knocked out and caused him to break a rib. In the game on March 11, Rempe even took another Devils player off the field for a high elbow, for which he was given four suspension dates.
According to the protagonists themselves, the fights were spontaneous. “It was great to see the team respond in that way and support each other”said MacDermid, who did not play in the game because he had been sent off. Additionally, he said about 21-year-old Rempe: “I have a lot of respect for him, he is a young boy who tries to do his thing”.
When the chaos ended and the “star fight” could calm down, as many fans of this discipline classified it on social networks, they announced eight expulsions. In addition to MacDermid and Rempe, New Yorkers Jacob Trouba, K’Andre Miller and Barclay Goordrow left the court, while Kevin Bahl, John Merino and Chris Tierney left the court for the Devils.
“There were a lot of things happening at once, five fights to start the game, no one expected that”said Devils interim head coach Travis Green, who yelled at Rangers coach Peter Laviolette from the benches amid the fights. “I have no idea why Peter was upset. His players were preparing fights before the game, we all know why it happened tonight, something happened in the previous game”Green explained.
The Rangers coach’s response was a little more strange and he did not try to reduce the tension: “Our guys were reacting to what was happening around the ice. I thought they did a fantastic job, all five of them.”said Laviolette, after his team’s 4-3 victory.