A mass brawl broke out during the men's ice hockey gold medal match between the United States and Canada at the Winter Olympics, with a BBC commentator forced to apologise to viewers. The highly anticipated clash between the two favourites did not disappoint, delivering a chaotic first half that included ugly scenes on the ice.
The United States took the lead in a cagey first period, but tensions boiled over shortly after. After USA goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made a save against Canada's Cale Makar, at least six players became involved in a brawl behind the American goal. The Tkachuk brothers, Brady and Matthew, were at the centre of the incident, along with Dylan Larkin, as helmets flew off. When the referee announced no punishment for either side, boos erupted from the crowd.
BBC commentator Kent Simpson, who is Canadian, interrupted play-by-play caller Seth Bennett to shout 'Sheepdogs!' before quickly apologising: 'Sorry, as a Canadian I've got to jump in, 'Feeling Good' by the Sheepdogs is the name of the song.'
Canada equalised just four minutes later through Davon Toews, who set up Makar to blast the puck past Hellebuyck. Further fisticuffs broke out as the players left the ice at the end of the second period. The referee warned both teams that he would penalise only one side if further altercations occurred.
The third period saw Hellebuyck make several incredible saves, including a one-on-one stop against Macklin Celebrini. With just over six minutes remaining, the USA were awarded a four-minute power play after Sam Bennett was penalised for a high stick, offering a golden opportunity to win gold.
