Two of the best fighters in the NHL, Tom Wilson and Brady Tkachuk, dropped the gloves in the first period of the Washington Capitals vs. Ottawa Senators game.
Wilson took a borderline late hit from Claude Giroux and went over to chat with the former Flyers forward, but instead was engaged by Tkachuk who asked to chuck knucks.
Wilson obliged and the heavyweight battle was on.
Both players landed a punch or two, with Tkachuk earning the takedown after losing his helmet, but the fight was ultimately a draw.
The showdown comes in the shadow of the recently completed 4 Nations Face-Off. Despite gaudy numbers and unmatched physical presence, Wilson was left off Canada’s roster. The Capitals’ right wing felt the sting after watching Canada’s first game against the United States.
The Tkachuk brothers opened the game with consecutive fights — there ended up being 3 bouts total in the first 9 seconds. Setting the tone right off the opening faceoff, USA won 3-1.
“I mean, I loved it,” Wilson said later. “I think it was one of the best hockey games to watch in a long time. It was two countries that don’t like each other. It was hockey. It was great. It was a little bit of everything.
“I was sitting on my couch before the game, and it kind of hit me. I was like, ‘God, I want to be playing in that game.’ That rivalry, there’s nothing better. So I hope Canada can pull it out, but it’s gonna be a battle, and it’s always fun to see those two teams going at it.”
Team Canada would go on to win the two teams’ rematch in the tournament final via a Connor McDavid overtime goal.