The losing skid in Hockeytown is clearly getting to the players.
During practice on Wednesday, Detroit Red Wings teammates Lucas Raymond and Ben Chiarot decided to take their frustrations out on one another. While no gloves were dropped, the scuffle continued for a handful of moments, with Raymond’s helmet getting knocked off. Teammates eventually separated the parties.
WXYZ-TV reporter Jeanna Trotman caught the tail end of the skirmish.
It is unclear what events led to the young forward and veteran defenseman coming close to blows, but it was humorous to see Raymond and Chiarot continue to jaw at each other while they returned to the drill.
All of this happened in the midst of the team’s rough six-game losing streak, which saw them get blown out by the Buffalo Sabres, 7-3, on Tuesday night. The Red Wings have not won since late February, a month that saw Detroit go 7-3-0, comfortably putting the team in a Wild Card spot.
However, the recent spill has pushed the Wings (33-26-6) out of the top eight in the Eastern Conference. Detroit is tied with the New York Islanders with 72 points, but as the Wings have played more games, they are currently one spot back of the Wild Card picture. They are still fifth in the Atlantic Division, 10 points back of the Toronto Maple Leafs for third.
This is not the first time a couple of Detroit teammates have been involved in extracurriculars during practice. During the 1993-94 season, legendary tough guy Bob Probert squared off with a young Kieth Primeau during practice before assistant coach Dave Lewis bravely stepped in to break up the fight.
The Red Wings are scheduled to host the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night.
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