A brutal end to an American Hockey League match. Two players got into a physical altercation on the ice that resembled a UFC bout and resulted in one of the weekend’s most frightening photos.
In the first period of Friday night’s game between the Rockford IceHogs and the Milwaukee Admirals in Illinois, Mathieu Olivier and Kurtis Gabriel engaged in a brutal brawl.
In front of the officials and their teams, the two opponents removed their gloves, grabbed each other, and began punching each other.
The players sparred for a moment before Olivier gained the upper hand and cut Gabriel’s face. He persisted in striking despite that
The fight was stopped by the referees, but it was too late. The video of the altercation reveals that Gabriel’s face was severely injured during the struggle.
The 28-year-old first signed with his local team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, in the summer of last year. However, he was shortly traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, and he has since been living in Rockford. In 19 games this season with the IceHogs, he has one assist.
The fight will be remembered as one of the most exciting matches we have seen in a while, even though the participants will require stitches in the days to come (or, in Olivier’s case, simply some ice on the knuckles).
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