Advertisement

NHL veteran taunts then floors Aussie ice hockey prospect

NHL aspirant Nathan Walker got a painful taste of what to expect in the big league after being punched to the ice by a veteran in pre-season.

The Aussie, who is yet to lace up his skates in the NHL regular season, came off second best after picking a fight with Montreal Canadiens hard man Andrew Shaw.

Vying for a place on the Washington Capitals roster, Walker took exception to a vicious hit the two-time Stanley Cup winner put on one of his teammates, so he challenged Shaw to a slug-fest.

Shaw taunts Walker by gesturing to the crowd. Pic: CSN
Shaw taunts Walker by gesturing to the crowd. Pic: CSN

Both men traded blows with one hand while grabbing hold of the other’s jersey with the other.

Walker then tried to land a few sneaky jabs on Shaw, who taunted the Aussie by turning to the crowd and gesturing for them to make more noise.

Suddenly, Shaw spun around and unloaded with two massive haymakers that left the stunned Walker lying flat on the ice.

The two men received a standing ovation as the referee stepped in to separate the pair, with Shaw given an extended stint on the sidelines for his role in the fracas.