Is it possible for a linesman to receive two minutes for roughing?
That is the question Toronto Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting and many NHL fans will be asking after he was involved in an altercation with linesman Dan Kelly at the end of the first period on Tuesday night.
The whole ordeal began in the dying seconds of the first, when the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Pierre-Edouard Bellemare laid a huge hit on Toronto’s Mitch Marner just before the horn sounded. Because of the nature and timing of the hit, the other Maple Leafs understandably came to Marner’s aid, challenging Bellemare before he left the ice.
In the ensuing scrum, Bunting got tangled up with both Anthony Cirelli and Mikhail Sergachev. This is when Kelly intervened and began to escort Bunting off the ice.
Then things got weird.
Bunting still had some choice words for many of the Lightning players and was trying to make sure he was heard before he went down the tunnel. Kelly had other plans.
Just as they reached the edge of the ice, the 30-year-old linesman gave Bunting a couple of quick shoves to the chest, ushering him toward the locker room.
Bunting’s face after the incident said it all, as he was clearly perplexed as to what just happened.
After the dust finally settled, both Bunting and Bellemare received offsetting minors for roughing.
Bunting was asked about the situation after the game, where he downplayed the severity of the end-of-period altercation.
“Emotions were high,” explained Bunting. “It’s hockey. And move on from it. It’s not really that big of a deal.”
Kelly made his NHL debut as a linesman on Jan. 28, 2021 in a game between the Philadelphia Flyers and New Jersey Devils. He had been a part of over 90 NHL contests prior to this season.
The linesman is also a former player, appearing in 405 AHL games between the Albany Devils and San Jose Barracuda. He racked up 651 penalty minutes in his AHL career, and was also suspended 10 games for an illegal hit to the head of Toronto Marlies forward Andreas Johnsson back in 2016.
Bunting scored the only goal of the opening period, which was also the 100th point of his NHL career.
The Maple Leafs ended up taking home a 4-1 win, snapping the Lightning’s five-game win streak in the process.