Winnipeg Jets forward David Gustafsson was placed in conussion protocol after he fought Boston Bruins forward Trent Frederic.

Winnipeg Jets forward David Gustafsson was placed in concussion protocol after he fought Boston Bruins forward Trent Frederic.

The 24-year-old had never been in a fight in the NHL before Frederic, the 26-year-old who has been in 38 fights during his career, instigated a fight while trailing 6-1 with just over 12 minutes remaining in the third period. The fight didn't last long, with Frederic putting Gustafsson on the ice after one punch.

The Hockey News' Ken Campbell talked about the lack of "code" during the Jets and Bruins matchup yesterday.

The Tingsryd, Sweden native has played in just three NHL games this season as he continues his attempt to carve out a role with the Jets. His pursuit will be put on hold as he deals with a concussion.

Jets HC Scott Arniel was irate last night with Bruins' HC Joe Sacco, getting into a screaming match on the benches. In his media availability post-game, Arniel expressed his displeasure with Frederic and the Bruins.

"Yeah, I think, like, Trent plays a hard game," said Arniel. "I'm not disagreeing with that. I think for guys that fight, we generally know who on the other team fights. So, I think it's just one of those things. Gussie, real proud of him for not backing down. But, I think that's a situation that he shouldn't be put in the first place. So, that's what I was upset about. Good on Stan and Kastelik, two big, honest guys play the game hard, go after it. And I got a lot of respect for Z over there, he doesn't have to answer the bell, games kind of over. But to give me one there, both times I fought him if they've been in kind of blow out games. So, he shows up, and I appreciated that."

Frederic has an inch and 24 pounds on Gustaffson putting an inexperienced fighter at a larger disadvantage. In the heat of the moment and with all the emotions running through the players, it can be a bit unfair for others to expect them to stop and think about how they're fighting but a disadvantage so extreme, it's easy to see why so many people in the Jets organization are upset.

"I think it’s 50-50. You can’t just place all of the onus on Trent," said Arniel. "That’s unfair. It’s a tough spot. You get challenged to fight and you don’t want to say no. Looking back, I think it just could have been handled differently. It’s the game of hockey. It’s unfortunate. That’s really where we get upset. You don’t want to see a teammate hurt. You don’t want to see a teammate down on the ice with a head injury. So, I think that’s where the emotion comes into it. Some of the responsibility is on both of those guys. We’ll leave it at that."

The Bruins and Jets meet again on Jan. 30 in Boston what is gearing up to be another spirited battle. 

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