Mayhem erupts as the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils engage in a brawl involving 10 players right as the puck drops.
A full-scale altercation between the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils erupted immediately after the puck dropped to start the game at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. Within just two seconds, a five-on-five brawl broke out, leading to the ejection of eight players, four from each team, before any game action took place.
The primary confrontation involved Rangers’ forward Matt Rempe and Devils’ defenseman Kurtis MacDermid, who continued their scuffle at center ice even after other players were separated.
Last month, during their previous encounter at Madison Square Garden, Rempe, aged 21, had chosen not to engage in a fight with MacDermid early in the game.
MacDermid, speaking to reporters after the game, expressed respect for Rempe, acknowledging his status as a young player striving to establish himself in the league. He hadn’t expected other players to join the fray, characterizing the mass brawl as a spontaneous occurrence.
MacDermid also commended the team’s unity in standing up for each other during the incident, despite the subsequent challenges faced during the game. Despite the intense atmosphere, the Rangers clinched a 4-3 victory with a late power play goal from Chris Kreider.
In addition to Rempe, the Rangers’ Jacob Trouba, K’Andre Miller, and Barclay Goodrow were ejected, while the Devils’ Kevin Bahl, John Marino, Chris Tierney, and MacDermid also faced expulsion.
The altercation extended to a heated exchange between Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette and Devils interim head coach Travis Green after the game. Green expressed surprise at Laviolette’s apparent anger, emphasizing the emotional nature of the game and suggesting that the pre-game atmosphere might have contributed to the escalation, possibly stemming from a previous encounter between the teams.
