KHL coaches scuffle during preseason game (Video)
The KHL is wrapping up preseason ahead of the start of the exhibition season later this month. But just because there are exhibition games doesn’t mean the intensity isn’t there for both the players and coaches.
In fact, for Yevgeni Popikhin and Peter Skudra, the head coaches of HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk and Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, respectively, they saw their own temperatures rise during the second period of a Governor’s Cup meeting on Saturday.
Skudra, who played 146 NHL games with four teams, and Popikhin decided that since their players were racking up the penalty minutes with some skirmishes on the ice they wanted to get involved as well.
That escalated quickly.
Neftekhimik and Torpedo coaches got into a fight during a preseason game. pic.twitter.com/Eg8kno6VCs— KHL_English (@khl_eng) August 7, 2016
Here’s a different angle of the scuffle from a fan in the arena:
Here’s what Skudra had to say to Sport-Express, which is roughly translated:
“After removing Ilina Popihin ran to me with any complaints, I began to answer. He ran, faced foreheads … That’s all. He struck – I had to answer!”
Neftekhimik would take the 4-3 win thanks to a late third period goal.
This is why we love the KHL. It’s not just the players who like to show off their emotions; the coaches do, too. Okay, it’s mostly Andrei Nazarov, but still.
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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy
