LATEST | Pietrangelo could face suspension after leaving penalty box to join fight

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Cooper Godin
June 11, 2023 (12:21)

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Tempers boiled over following the conclusion of Vegas' 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers on Saturday night. The brawl ensued after Panthers defenceman Brandon Montour skated in after the final whistle went and hit Brayden McNabb into Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill.

As the fireworks began, Golden Knights defenceman Alex Pietrangelo left the penalty box to engage in the brawl and this is where things become a little bit tricky.

According to rule 70.4 in the National Hockey League's rule book, at a stoppage of play, if a player leaves the penalty box to engage in an altercation, that player is subject to a game misconduct, as well as a ten-game suspension.

"At a stoppage of play following the expiration of their penalties, if a player or players exiting the penalty bench get involved in an altercation, those coming from the penalty bench shall be assessed the penalties they incur in the altercation in addition to a game misconduct and a ten (10) game suspension as outlined in 70.10" The NHL's rule book says.

Some are saying because the game is over, Pietrangelo is allowed to leave the box and join his teammates, which is absolutely correct, but when saying that, you're entering a bit of a grey area in terms of if the end of the game (final whistle) is a stoppage in play or not. And that is causing confusion among many hockey fans on Twitter.

We'll have to wait and see what the NHL's Department of Player Safety decides to do in this situation, but it appears unlikely that the Golden Knights will be without Alex Pietrangelo for Game 5 on Tuesday night.