According to Florida’s Anton Lundell, New Jersey’s Erik Haula broke the unspoken agreement between the Finnish players by attacking him.
On Thursday morning, it blew big.
Even more detailed background work did not find fights between Finnish players in the history of the NHL. Even the most experienced Finnish players, who had already finished their careers, did not remember them from their memories – more so for themselves than for others.
The match between Florida and New Jersey hadn’t even had time to expire even seven minutes when Anton Lundellia tackled in the attack zone Erik Haula lost his temper. Lundell lifted the tackle when he received his hand, which could make the Porila striker’s bile boil.
All at once, Haula gave up her gloves and vertical wrestling was in full swing. It was noteworthy that Lundell did not give up his playing gloves. The attacker from Helsinki was disappointed with how the events progressed.
– I thought there was an unspoken agreement and respect among Finns not to fight. That’s why it came from the bush that the compatriot wanted to drop the gloves. Fighting isn’t my thing, so it wasn’t a mutual decision to go into it. It didn’t ask much when he had his gloves off. I could only protect myself, Lundell told Urheilu.
Lundell had no information about how the situation escalated.
– It’s hard to speculate there.
A strict comment on the events from Haula
Haula, on the other hand, communicated to Urheilu his view on the reasons that led to the fight in a short, universal and succinct manner in the Pori way.
– Apparently, Anton thought that he could behave as he wanted without any sanctions.
However, the so-called fight did not turn out to be particularly tough, because not a single decent hit was exchanged. Lundell didn’t seem particularly satisfied, but according to his own words, he doesn’t hold any grudges.
– It’s hockey, sometimes emotions get heated. You always have to be ready for everything and this was the first time of this type, if you can count it as a fight. In the end, it went quite well and no one got hit. I’m not mad or anything like that.
In the circle of friends of the HIFK student, the events of the day had already been turned to the side of humor.
– Quite unexpectedly, the first fight entered the books for myself. The phone has been buzzing today as people have been making jokes about it. This is nothing more than that, this is just hockey, good-natured Lundell concludes.
New Jersey represented by Haula won the match 4–2. Lundell had one assist in the match.