On February 4, the Boston Bruins played their final game before the Olympic Break, against the Florida Panthers.
The Bruins fell in a shootout in a thrilling back-and-forth game. However, the most notable event came in the first period, when Panthers forward Sandis Vilmanis levelled Charlie McAvoy with a clear hit to the head that only received a two-minute minor.
Despite it being a textbook elbow to the head, with Vilmanis leaving his feet and hitting McAvoy's head as the principal point of contact, the NHL Department of Player Safety gave absolutely zero discipline to Vilmanis, an absolutely stunning decision that left the Bruins fuming.
It led McAvoy to tweet the clip, along with a photo of himself with a very swollen face following the hit two days later.
Vilmanis left the game and did not return, telling media at the Olympics that Panthers' Head Coach Paul Maurice told him not to return to the game.
Vilmanis told Latvian journalist Ulvis Brože he didn't mean to raise his elbow.
"Everyone says I was deliberately looking for and hunting him," Vilmanis told Brože. "Hockey happens so fast! Whoever had come at me there, I would have done exactly the same thing. I didn't deliberately raise my elbow."
The quote is autotranslated on X, so it might not be exactly what Vilmanis was trying to say. Vilmanis seems to indicate he was trying to land a big hit on the puck carrier, and it had nothing to do with it being McAvoy, nor did he try to make it a dirty hit the way it happened.
That much can be true, and if you're an NHLer and you've got someone lined up, you certainly try to land the hit 10 times out of 10. It doesn't excuse Vilmanis, who should've faced an NHL suspension, a five-minute major, or at the bare minimum, a fine from the league.
But, what's done is done there, and the Bruins don't face the Panthers again until April 2 in Florida.
For now, the time came for the Olympics, where Vilmanis represents Latvia and McAvoy the USA.
Thursday, the USA began its Olympic journey against Vilmanis and the Latvians. The USA blew out Latvia, 5-1, in a resounding result.
Postgame, McAvoy and Vilmanis appeared to share a moment, potentially burying the hatchet.
It's a very nice moment, one fitting for the Olympics and its sportsmanship, showcasing just how important the little things can be.
McAvoy and the USA next play on Saturday afternoon against Denmark.