By Joce, Senior Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine

Pre-season is when players try to make a name for themselves, based on their skills set and everyone is literally fighting for a job. None of that was more evident than during last night’s exhibition game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

PENTICTON, BC. – Goal scorers try to score goals, playmakers try to set-up guys for goals, speedsters try using that speed to show it’s NHL-worthy, defenders block shots, grinders grind and fighters… well, they fight! All in hope to get a substantial pay raise if they can impress enough to remain with their NHL club and live the dream of having an career at the highest level of hockey in the world. And with a minimum salary of over half a million dollars per season, one would be hard-pressed to blame them!

In what turned out to be a hard fought game, the Sabres rallied from a 4-1 deficit after two periods to cut the Leafs’ lead to 4-3 halfway through the third, after Corey Tropp deflected a shot from the point past Jonathan Bernier. On the ensuing faceoff, Leafs’ head coach sent AHL/ECHL tough guy Jamie Devane (6’5” 217 lbs) to line-up against the goal scoring Tropp (6’0” 185 lbs) and after a few jolts, both engaged in a fight which saw Tropp left for worse.

While we can’t see it, we can hear the announcers talking about Sabres mammoth (6’8” 270 lbs) and tough guy John Scott wanting to get involved.

After the commercial break, Sabres’ head coach Ron Rolston, feeling the unfairness of the previous fight, sent out Scott on the ice for the next faceoffs, and he was matched with none other than Leafs’ sniper Phil Kessel. Instead of writing the ensuing events, I’ll let you have a look for yourselves:

At the time of writing this, no suspension has yet to be officially announced but the rules state that if a player leaves the bench to join into a fight, it carries an automatic 10 game suspension so everyone is expecting David Clarkson to pay for his actions. Phoenix Coyotes’ Paul Bissonnette suffered the same fate after leaving the bench to fight early in this pre-season against the Los Angeles Kings and received 10 games. Rule 70.10 of the NHL rulebook states: “The first player to leave the players’ or penalty bench illegally during an altercation or for the purpose of starting an altercation from either or both teams shall be suspended without pay for the next 10 regular league and/or playoff games of his team.”

There is no doubt that John Scott should not have gone after Phil Kessel and it was clear that he wanted to send the Leafs and their bench boss a clear message. Kessel’s original reaction was the right one, which was to protect himself and skate away from Scott. Where there is a major issue is when Kessel used his stick as a weapon by slashing at Scott’s legs/ankles twice while he was in a fight with Clarkson. That is cowardly and uncalled for, even extremely dangerous. Later into the altercation, Kessel came back to spear Scott to the abdomen, a gesture clearly shown on television.

Kessel is a star player in this league, arguably the best player on the Maple Leafs and the league’s decision about his actions last night will be watched by everyone, meaning that Brendan Shanahan’s notorious video will be much anticipated. If Kessel was Devane, we know that he would get the book thrown at him for his actions. Will the league have the spine to set the tone for the upcoming season, even on a player of Kessel’s status?

But here’s what’s truly puzzling with this story… The Leafs were playing at home and with home ice advantage, Leafs’ head coach Randy Carlyle had the last change. Considering the events that preceded the brawl, why did he leave the Kessel line out against John Scott? Carlyle has played the game and he was a pretty tough cookie himself, and he preaches that style as a coach. This is truly mind boggling.

I am hoping that the NHL will be severe in this case, especially when it comes to punishing players for using their stick as a weapon against other players. I am also hoping that the NHL executive and decision makers take a good long look (and listen) to the crowd present at the ACC during the incidents. If they think for a second that removing fighting in hockey is a good idea, then they’re not listening to their fans!

On a lighter side, there isn’t much more entertaining that a good old fashion goalie fight.