Watch: KHL player goes bonkers
In a scene that looked like something out of Slap Shot, an enraged Russian hockey player tried to fight an entire team.
Damir Ryspayev, a 21-year-old defenseman for Barys Astana of the KHL, first went after Tomas Marcinko of Kunlun Red Star just three minutes into the first period. After dropping the former Islanders draft pick (and reportedly sending him to the hospital), he started hunting down anyone in red, ragdolling three unwilling Kunlun players before making a beeline for the Red Star bench to keep the party going.
Hard to figure out how the officials let things get so far out of hand, but they look like they had just as much interest in tangling with him as did the Red Star players. Ultimately, they decided the best way to regain order was to postpone the game.
Barys Astana is offering fans their money back along with an apology.
No word yet on what sort of discipline Ryspayev will face, but he won't be missed while he's gone. He's played 23 games over the past two seasons, picking up no points while amassing 194 penalty minutes.
The incident recalls the legendary meltdown of junior hockey goon Jeff Kugel of the Windsor Spitfires. Kugel was banned for life by the OHL as a result.
UPDATE: According to the Russian website Championnat, Ryspayev has been suspended for the remainder of the preaseason with further discipline likely. "The decision on the application of disciplinary sanctions against Ryspayev will be made at a meeting of sports disciplinary committee after receiving all the necessary materials for this incident," an unnamed league official said in a statement.