Maple Leafs' Michael Bunting Explains Bizarre Exchange With Official Against Lightning

Bunting picked up his 100th NHL point in a 4-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, but the game may be most remembered for seeing official Dan Kelly shove the player off the ice at the end of the first period.

Michael Bunting opened the scoring and helped the Toronto Maple Leafs set the tone in their penultimate game before the Christmas break. He was named the first star of the game after a 4-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.

But Bunting was also involved in one of the more obscure moments of the game.

At the end of the first period, Bunting and other Leafs players were involved in a scrum with other Tampa Bay Lightning players when Pierre-Eduoard Bellemare delivered a hit on Mitch Marner.

As Bunting got into a shoving match with Tampa forward Anthony Cirelli, linesman Dan Kelly began to direct Bunting toward the Leafs' dressing room. There was some extra 'force' attached to this as Kelly shoved Bunting into the doorway a few times.

"I think emotions just were high it's hockey and you move on from it," Bunting said. "It's not really a big deal."

Bunting certainly didn't look too pleased in the moment, but he's well aware of Kelly, who spent seven seasons in the American Hockey League and played against him when he was with the Tucson Roadrunners.

When asked if there was any history between the two of them, Bunting was quick to dismiss it while adding some humor to the situation.

"No history, I mean, I probably have a history with everybody, no," Bunting laughed. 

Bunting has a knack for getting under the opposition's skin and is known as one of the more talkative players on the ice. Both he and Bellemare received offsetting roughing minors on the play.