Hockey fans nearly witnessed a rare goalie fight on Sunday night, but officials intervened.
Late in the second period of Sunday`s game between the Boston Bruins and Los Angeles Kings, Bruins forward Marat Khusnutdinov collided with Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper.
Kuemper reacted strongly to the collision, removing Khusnutdinov`s helmet, which sparked a confrontation near the Kings` net. Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman, not wanting to miss out, skated to center ice and challenged Kuemper.
Kuemper accepted, meeting Swayman at center ice as both goalies took off their gloves and blockers. However, officials quickly stepped in, stopping the fight before it could begin.
“(Kuemper) touched one of my guys, and I think that was something I’m not going to accept,” Swayman commented after the game. “And credit to him, he stepped up. It just got broken up.”
Ultimately, both Kuemper and Swayman received two-minute penalties for leaving their crease. Kuemper also received a roughing penalty for removing Khusnutdinov`s helmet, while Khusnutdinov was penalized for goalie interference.
There hasn`t been a goalie fight in the NHL since the COVID-19 pandemic, with the last one occurring on February 1, 2020, between Edmonton’s Mike Smith and Calgary’s Cam Talbot.
In March 2023, officials also prevented a fight between St. Louis` Jordan Binnington and Minnesota`s Marc-Andre Fleury. Binnington was ejected and suspended for two games for punching Wild forward Ryan Hartman.
Unsurprisingly, NHL fans expressed their disappointment that referees stopped the two goalies from exchanging punches. Here are some reactions to the almost-goalie fight on Sunday.
