Goalie fight erupted after a brawl in a 9-1 game
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The regular season finale meant nothing to the Regina Pats, but they didn't go down without a literal goalie fight against the rival Moose Jaw Warriors.
With the Warriors dominating 9-1 in the third period on Sunday, tensions were running high.
Yet the real action didn't start until we saw a full-blown goalie showdown at center ice! Jackson Unger of the Moose Jaw Warriors and Kelton Pyne of the Regina Pats went head-to-head in a fierce battle.
It was quite the spectacle, especially with all that gear weighing them down.
It was quite the spectacle, especially with all that gear weighing them down.
The game ended with more than 100 penalty minutes between the two teams including the bench-clearing brawl.
Pats head coach, Brad Herauf, was so fired up that he got himself kicked out of the game after some heated exchanges with the Warriors' bench.
Pats head coach, Brad Herauf, was so fired up that he got himself kicked out of the game after some heated exchanges with the Warriors' bench.
Massive goalie fight erupted after a brawl in a 9-1 game
Herauf, the rookie head coach for the, reflected on his first ejection from a game, saying,
I don't know if you ever get your point across. I don't know if you ever win a fight. But this is the way I stand up for our hockey club, and the way I stand up for our team. I don't mind losing and I've been in tons of fights in my life. There's a way to win and lose and last night I just did not feel that it was the right way for them to win.
Meanwhile, Alan Millar, the general manager for Regina and a former GM for the Warriors, expressed his disappointment with Moose Jaw's conduct during the game.
It was embarrassing. It was disrespectful. I think in an ironic way they embarrassed themselves as well. Let's face it, you lose 11-1, it's embarrassing for your club. But I think in an ironic way they embarrassed themselves as well.
Braxton Whitehead managed to salvage a goal for the Pats, with Jaxsin Vaughan and Aaron Krestanowich providing the assists. This goal marked Whitehead's 17th of the season, capping off a stellar performance as he finished the year with a career-high 52 points in 52 games. There was also the breakout year of first-year captain, 18-year-old Tanner Howe. With 77 points in 68 games, Howe established himself as an upcoming NHL draft prospect.
For the playoff-bound Warriors, Jagger Firkus and Martin Rysavy stole the show with each netting a hat trick. Firkus, in particular, had an outstanding five point night, including pulling off a Michigan, clinching the Bob Clarke trophy as the WHL's top scorer with 61 goals and 126 points in 63 games.
As a Seattle Kraken prospect and 2022 second-round pick, 35th overall, Firkus certainly made his mark on the ice.
The WHL playoffs start on Thursday, March 28th. The Prince Albert Raiders face off against the first-place Saskatoon Blades, Moose Jaw Warriors taking on the Brandon Wheat Kings, and the Swift Current Broncos face the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Out west, things are heating up too, with the top-seeded Prince George Cougars going head-to-head with the Spokane Chiefs, and the Portland Winterhawks hosting the Victoria Royals. There's also the Victoria Royals and Everett Silvertips, as well as the the Wenatchee Wild, who are in their first year after moving from Winnipeg, against the Kelowna Rockets.
| POLL | ||
25 MARS | 59 ANSWERS Goalie fight erupted after a brawl in a 9-1 game Who won the goalie fight? | ||
| Jackson Unger | 15 | 25.4 % |
| Kelton Pyne | 15 | 25.4 % |
| Draw | 29 | 49.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
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