The Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning don’t like each other after meeting in the playoffs in four of the last five seasons.
The 2025 playoffs, won by Florida, was particularly nasty with Brandon Hagel suspended one game for a hit on Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov and Aaron Ekblad suspended two games for injuring Hagel with an elbow.
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The teams remembered that when they met Thursday, Oct. 2, and combined for 186 penalty minutes. A.J. Greer was fined for roughing and injuring Hagel.
Saturday’s preseason game blew past that with 65 penalties and 312 total penalty minutes.
It started early when Tampa Bay’s Scott Sabourin took down Ekblad in the first period and then punched him when he got up. Ekblad wouldn’t return to the game. Coach Paul Maurice told reporters the defenseman would be evaluated on Sunday.
Before the end of the period, Tampa Bay’s J.J. Moser and Florida’s Carter Verhaeghe and Jonah Gadjovich received game misconducts.
The scrums and penalty minutes continued to pile up in the second period.
Early in the third period, a hit by Tampa Bay’s Oliver Bjorkstrand led to him and other players being ejected.
All told, the game featured 10 fighting majors, 13 game misconducts and six misconducts.
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The Panthers won 7-0. Scrutiny from the NHL Player Safety Department certainly will follow.
The teams will next meet on Nov. 15 at the Panthers’ Amerant Bank Arena.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Mitch Marner joined the Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Mitch Marner joined the Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Nikolaj Ehlers signed with the Hurricanes.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Mikael Granlund signed with the Ducks.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov signed with the Rangers.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Pius Suter signed with the Blues.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Defenseman Nate Schmidt signed with the Mammoth.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Jonathan Drouin signed with the Islanders.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Corey Perry signed with the Kings.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Defenseman Brent Burns signed with the Avalanche.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Connor Brown signed with the Devils.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Evgenii Dadonov signed with the Devils.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Christian Dvorak signed with the Flyers.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Defenseman Ryan Lindgren signed with the Kraken.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Tanner Jeannot signed with the Bruins.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Gustav Nyquist signed with the Jets.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Defenseman Cody Ceci signed with the Kings.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Defenseman Brian Dumoulin signed with the Kings.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Nico Sturm signed with the Wild.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Jeff Skinner signed with the Sharks.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Nathan Bastian signed with the Dallas Stars.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Victor Olofsson signed with the Colorado Avalanche.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Defenseman Travis Hamonic signed with the Red Wings.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Goaltender Alexandar Georgiev signed with the Buffalo Sabres.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Luke Kunin signed with the Florida Panthers.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Hudson Fasching signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Defenseman Noah Dobson was traded to the Montreal Canadiens.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Defenseman Matt Dumba was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Defenseman K’Andre Miller was traded to the Hurricanes.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Goalie Arturs Silovs was traded to the Penguins.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forwards Miles Wood (28) and Charlie Coyle (10) were traded to the Blue Jackets.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Mason Marchment was traded to the Kraken.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Viktor Arvidsson was traded to the Bruins.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Goaltender John Gibson was traded to the Red Wings.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Chris Kreider was traded to the Ducks.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Goaltender Connor Ingram was traded to the Oilers.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Ryan Reaves was traded to the Sharks for defenseman Heny Thrun.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Evander Kane was traded to the Canucks.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward JJ Peterka was traded to the Mammoth. Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan went to the Sabres in the trade.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic was traded to the Sharks.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Forward Trevor Zegras was traded to the Flyers.
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NHL players on the move in the 2025 offseason
Goalie Ivan Fedotov was traded to the Blue Jackets.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Panthers, Lightning combine for 312 penalty minutes in nasty game