The bad blood between the Olds Grizzlys and Brooks Bandits boiled over on Oct. 25 as the Black and Gold lost 2-0 in a game at home that saw the two teams rack up 231 penalty minutes.
A slew of penalties were doled out during the last 20 seconds of play, including a number of fighting majors.
It was the second straight game that the Grizzlys were shut out, losing 4-0 to the Drumheller Dragons on Oct. 23.
The team now has a 9-7-3 record and sits in fifth place in the AJHL south division.
Landon Kletke was the first to drop the gloves, going toe to toe with Bandits defenceman Shane Bear with 18 seconds left in the game.
The forward took exception to how Bear wrestled Christopher Gerrie to the ice on the previous play.
Head coach Brett Hopfe praised his players after the game for defending each other on the ice.
“They sent a message late in the game. Especially once they jump our top scorer in the league,” Hopfe said. “Our other guys took it into their own hands to protect their top scorer and I'm proud of them.”
Hopfe saw the Bandits as instigators behind much of the night's scrums between whistles.
“It's embarrassing to be quite honest with you. They'll chirp and talk and slash behind the whistles and slash behind the legs,” he said.
“When guys go out there and want to do something about it, they skate away and whine. It's embarrassing. There's no need for that in the game.”
The animosity between the two teams was evident as early as the second period, when at 7:01, Sean Richards clipped Bandits goalie Josh Davies while skating by.
The game was delayed as the Bandits trainer was called onto the ice to assess Davies. However, the incident drew jeers from many amongst the hometown crowd, convinced that Davies dove on the play.
Richards was given a goaltender interference penalty.
Later in the period, Tyrell Mappin sprayed Davies with snow while he was covering up the puck, earning an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Bandits defenceman Shane Switzer was also called for roughing on the play.
During that same stoppage, Landon Kletke circled the Bandits net and took a swig out of Davies' water bottle.
The rough-and-tumble game marked newly-acquired Colton Sheen's debut, an experience that helped him get acclimated to his new team.
“When the going gets tough in the midst of the ice, there's this good sense of brotherhood among the team and sticking up for one another,” Sheen said. “It definitely plays a big role in bonding with my new team and the new guys I'll be with every day for the next six months.”
Despite missing on a few scoring chances, Hopfe said the forward fit in perfectly.
“He's a Grizzlys style of player. He had four, five great opportunities to put the puck in the net,” Hopfe said. “Just gripping the stick a little too tight there, but I thought he had a tremendous game.”
