Referee Gives Game Misconduct to ‘Every Player on the Ice’ After Panthers-Senators Melee

The Panthers and Senators played one of the feistiest games of the season on Monday night, culminating in the ejection of 10 players. 

Tensions were high throughout the game, but the cork came off late into the third period when Brady Tkachuk attempted to score just moments after being released from the penalty box.

Ottawa’s star forward got tangled up with Dmitry Kulikov, and in the blink of an eye, gloves were dropped and punches were thrown between the two.

The other players began getting into it as well, resulting in a heated and lengthy on-ice altercation.

After the dust settled, the referee was sorting out discipline for the players when he announced that all 10 skaters had been issued game misconducts for their involvement in the fight.

With just over seven minutes remaining in the game, all 10 skaters were done for the night. Those who received a game misconduct included Ottawa’s Erik Brannstrom, Rourke Chartier, Travis Hamonic, Drake Batherson, and Tkachuk, as well as Florida’s Ryan Lomberg, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Kevin Stenlund, Jonah Gadjovich, and Kulikov.

Both teams ended the night with considerably shortened benches, in a game which the Panthers won, 5–0. 

Prior to the brawl, Senators forward Zack MacEwan was issued a match penalty after a fight with Matthew Tkachuk. Later, Sam Bennett and Mathieu Joseph were also issued game misconducts, bringing the game’s tally up to 13 ejections. 

In total, the Senators had 84 penalty minutes in the game, while the Panthers had 83. Florida head coach Paul Maurice joked postgame that the 167 combined penalty minutes were “mild.”