Hockey fights are a common sight in the NHL, but sometimes they can take a surprising turn. That’s what happened on Saturday night, when two players from rival teams ended up hugging each other after a heated exchange.
The unusual incident occurred during the third period of the game between the New York Rangers and the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden. Rangers forward Ryan Strome and Capitals defenseman Brenden Dillon dropped their gloves and engaged in a fistfight near the boards, as the crowd cheered them on.
However, as the fight went on, both players seemed to realize that they had a mutual friend in common: former teammate and current Capitals forward Carl Hagelin. Hagelin, who played with Strome on the Rangers from 2014 to 2016, and with Dillon on the Capitals since 2019, was watching the fight from the bench, and apparently tried to intervene.
According to Strome, Hagelin was shouting at them to stop fighting, and reminded them that they were all friends. Strome and Dillon then decided to end the fight on a friendly note, and hugged each other before heading to the penalty box.
“It was kind of funny. Haggy was chirping us both. He was telling us to stop. He was like, ‘You guys are buddies, what are you doing?’” Strome said after the game, as reported by NHL.com. “So I think that kind of calmed us down a little bit. We were just fired up, and it was just one of those things that happens in a hockey game. But no hard feelings. We’re all good.”
Dillon echoed Strome’s sentiments, and said that he and Strome had no personal animosity. He also praised Hagelin for his peacemaking efforts.
“Haggy’s a great teammate, a great friend. He was just trying to calm the situation down. He knows Stromer and I are good buddies off the ice. It was just a heat-of-the-moment thing,” Dillon said, as quoted by NBC Sports Washington. “Sometimes in a rivalry game like that, emotions get the best of you. But Stromer and I are all good. We hugged it out.”
The fight, which lasted for about 30 seconds, was the only one in the game, which the Capitals won 4-1. It was also the first fight of the season for both Strome and Dillon, who are not known for their pugilistic skills. According to HockeyFights.com, Strome has only six fights in his 582-game NHL career, while Dillon has 38 fights in his 698-game NHL career.
The hug between Strome and Dillon was captured on video and shared on social media, where it quickly went viral. Many fans and commentators praised the players for their sportsmanship and camaraderie, and called the fight “the most wholesome thing ever” and “the best thing to happen in 2023”.
