Angus Crookshank, the 24-year-old 5th-round pick (126th overall) of the Ottawa Senators in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, found himself in a David vs Goliath scenario on Saturday night. Unfortunately, despite his courage, size played a crucial role in the outcome.
Playing for the Belleville Senators, the AHL affiliate of the Ottawa Senators, against the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings), tensions rose with one minute left in the third period. An outstanding play by Marco Kasper, Red Wings' first-round pick (8th overall) in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, led to an empty-net goal for the Griffins, sparking on-ice chaos.
Amid the commotion, Crookshank took issue with the treatment he received from Griffins defenseman Simon Edvinsson, a Red Wings' first-round pick (6th overall) in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. In a fit of rage, Crookshank dropped his gloves and threw punches at the much larger Edvinsson, who stood in disbelief as the 5'10 forward seemingly had to leap to strike the 6'6 defenseman. Edvinsson allowed Crookshank a second shot before responding with a few punches.
Fortunately, Edvinsson chose to wrestle Crookshank down rather than escalate the confrontation further, showing mercy to the smaller opponent.
