It took less than a period for Zack Kassian and Matthew Tkachuk to settle their differences.
In case you've been living under a rock for the past month, here’s a little update: the two don’t like each other! It all stemmed from a series of what Kassian believed to be dirty hits from Tkachuk in the Oilers’ and Flames last matchup. The players exchanged some verbal jabs at one another with the media after the game and before hockey fans knew it, the NHL’s biggest new rivalry was born!
So it wasn’t a surprise to see the two drop the mitts and square off just over 16 minutes into the game. After the dust settled, Kassian and Tkachuk actually complimented each other and explained how their scrap came to be.
It was bound to happen sooner or later! Feelings have definitely changed since the last times these dudes met.
Lucky for Calgary, they’re going to be seeing a wholllllllllllle lot more of Kassian in the future. The Oilers signed the 29-year-old to a new four-year extension with an AAV of $3.2 million. Tkachuk signed a three-year, $21 million contract with the Flames last summer so buckle up everyone!
The Battle of Alberta is BACK.
