Washington Capitals rookie Andrew Cristall was kicked out of a Monday, Sept. 21 preseason game against the Philadelphia Flyers after forcefully retaliating for a hit on his teammate.
Philadelphia defenseman Hunter McDonald had delivered a hard but clean hit into the boards on Washington forward Ryan Leonard. Cristall skated up and delivered a cross-check to the face of McDonald, sending him to the ice. Cristall tried cross-checking McDonald again before being intercepted by Flyers players as tempers flared.
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Cristall went to the penalty box and was tossed after receiving a cross-checking major and a game misconduct, ending his night. McDonald and Leonard stayed in the game.
“His heart’s in the right place,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said, per The Hockey News. “He’s trying to stick up for one of his brothers. He’s trying to do the right thing. … You just try want to try to do that as clean as you can in those moments.”
Cristall was drafted in 2023 by the Capitals and played last season in Hershey, Pennsylvania, where Monday’s game was held.
Leonard, entering his second full season in the NHL, recently signed an eight-year extension with a $10.5 million average.
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NHL preseason injury updates
Flyers forward Denver Barkey left Monday’s game with a lower-body injury. … Pittsburgh’s Ben Kindel (lower body) left the preseason game against Buffalo. … Columbus defenseman Dante Fabbro suffered an upper-body injury against Detroit. … Rangers prospect Adam Sykora limped off the ice after being checked against the Devils.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Andrew Cristall ejected as tempers flare in Capitals-Flyers preseason game
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