Photo credit: Twitter Spittin' Chiclets
You don't see this every day anymore. Actually, you barely see it once a decade in the modern game. But down in the USHL, old-time hockey is clearly alive, well, and absolutely electric.
Sioux Falls Stampede goalie Aiden Wright and Fargo Force goalie Alan Lendak decided the scoreboard wasn't the only thing that mattered last week.
During a blowout 6-2 win for the Stampede, things got heated. And the fans loved every second of it.
It wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision. Tensions had been boiling over since their previous matchup.
You could feel the pressure rising in the building after a massive scrum at the end of the second period. Wright apparently suggested the scrap to Lendak, and the rest is history.
And what a building it was. Nearly 12,000 fans packed into the arena. The reason for the sellout? "Wiener Dog Night." You literally cannot make this stuff up.
The atmosphere was already buzzing, but when the goalies met at center ice, the roof nearly blew off the place.
The Main Event at Center Ice
They met at the red line in the third period. Helmets came off. Gloves hit the ice. This was a classic, heavy tilt right in the neutral zone. No hesitation. Just two competitors trying to spark their teams.
The coaches didn't hate it, either. Stampede head coach Ryan Cruthers actually praised Wright for the move, noting how it energized the massive crowd.
That is the kind of fire you want to see from your starter, especially in a rivalry game.
Sure, the league handed down two-game suspensions for both guys. That is the standard price to pay these days. But for the fans in Sioux Falls? That ticket was worth every single penny.
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