During a Thursday evening matchup in the Finnish Liiga between TPS Turku and Oulun Kärpät, former Flames trade acquisition Nick Ritchie sparked controversy due to an incident involving Ottawa Senators' Marcus Nurmi.
Nurmi, who leads TPS Turku with 13 goals and 12 assists in 35 games, is recognized for his subtle playing style that tends to unsettle opponents. Conversely, Ritchie, boasting 26 altercations in his NHL career with various teams, has a reputation for having little tolerance for provocation.
The scene was set for conflict during the December 28th game between sixth-ranked Karpat and 11th-ranked TPS. Following Nurmi's goal, Penguins prospect Filip Lindberg exited the net, making way for Oskar Autio. Shortly after, Ritchie, who had already incurred two minor penalties, reached a tipping point.
Despite Turku securing a 5-3 win, Ritchie's remarkable display consisted of accumulating 29 penalty minutes and taking three shots on goal within an 8-minute and 54-second ice time. The seasoned NHL veteran of eight seasons now anticipates a rendezvous with the Liiga's disciplinary committee.
