Months after a dangerous hit sidelined Evan Bouchard, teammate Trent Frederic dropped the gloves to exact revenge on Ryan Lindgren. But, was it enough?
Unfinished business from the summer boiled over in the first period of Saturday's game between the Edmonton Oilers and Seattle Kraken, but it wasn't the hostility from their last meeting. Instead, it was about one player in particular.
Edmonton's Trent Frederic dropped the gloves with Ryan Lindgren, whose high hit at the World Championships knocked Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard out of the tournament. That was months ago, but players don't forget.
Many called that check illegal, and talk of revenge lingered into the game. Elliotte Friedman reported that some conversations in the Oilers locker room centered around how this was going to be handled. There was a belief that Bouchard might be interested in taking care of business himself.
That wasn't what the rest of the team wanted. Not ready to let an elite scorer and Norris-caliber defenseman risk hurting himself in a fight, his teammate stepped in. Frederic forced the issue, and Lindgren accepted.
But it wasn't a clear win for Frederic. Lindgren held his own, and several observers credited him for accepting the challenge instead of ducking it.
As much as Bouchard likely appreciates Frederic for doing what he did, will Bouchard be satisfied? Under hockey's unwritten code, a dangerous hit gets answered, and Lindgren answered for it... Kind of. A competitive scrap may feel like unfinished business for fans hoping for a decisive statement.
What did you think of the fight? Was the score settled, or does Bouchard still have a bill to collect? Share your take below.
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