Tempers flared at Toronto Maple Leafs practice Friday as forwards Phil Kessel and David Booth had to be separated by teammates following an altercation.
It wasn’t a full-blown, drop-the-gloves slugfest, but those who witnessed it reported it was intense.
The incident took place during a special teams drill at the MasterCard Centre when the two players became entangled along the boards.
Booth said dust-ups like this happen often throughout a hockey season.
“Guys get frustrated all year. I think that was a drill that just promoted competition, so it was actually good to see that,” Booth told reporters after practice. “Hopefully we can take some of that competitive nature over to our game [Saturday against the Ottawa Senators]…If you play the game of hockey that stuff is bound to happen. I don’t think it’s a big deal at all.”
Booth, who has has out-produced Kessel in both goals and points since February, said he wasn’t exactly sure how the tussle started and added that he and Kessel hadn’t talked about the incident since it occurred.
“I don’t know how he’s feeling quite honestly,” Booth said.
Kessel elected not to speak to the media after practice.
Interim head coach Peter Horachek thought it was “great” Kessel and Booth got into it.
“Guys are going to compete in practice. I think that’s a good thing,” he said.
Captain Dion Phaneuf added the team was laughing about the scuffle shortly after it happened.
“Phil’s a competitive guy, so is Boother. They’re both working hard. Boother is killing a penalty at that point and we’re trying to work on the power play and sometimes those things happen,” Phaneuf said. “There’s nothing more to it than a little bit of a scrum and now it’s done.”
The Maple Leafs are coming off yet another lopsided loss as they fell 4-1 to the Florida Panthers Thursday.
