Watch: Kaiden Guhle's big hit on Kirill Kaprizov sparks fight with 5'9" Marco Rossi

By Abhishek Dilta

Modified Dec 23, 2023 08:11 GMT

Fans at Xcel Energy Center witnessed the Minnesota Wild's Marco Rossi's first career fight against the Montreal Canadiens' Kaiden Guhle on Thursday.

The altercation between the two players stemmed from Guhle's hit on Kaprizov, which crushed him into the boards during the second period.

The hit made Marco Rossi furious and he jumped to his teammate's defense. Despite being only 5-foot-9, Rossi did his best to match up against the Canadiens' 6-foot-3 defenseman, Guhle.

Watch the video below:

When Kirill Kaprizov was asked after the game about Marco Rossi picking a fight in his defense, the 26-year-old winger called Rossi a "machine":

"I looked up, Marco fighting. I went, ‘Wow.’ He’s a machine. He did a great job. I know he’s a good teammate before. He’s a machine."

Russi notably completed the "Gordie Howe Hat Trick," which is accomplished after scoring a goal, an assist, and a fight in a single game. Meanwhile, the game between Montreal and Minnesota ended with the Wild securing a 4-3 win in overtime.

Rossi is in his third year with the Minnesota Wild. This season, the 22-year-old forward has notched up an impressive 21 points through 11 goals and 10 assists in 31 games.

How has Kaiden Guhle fared at the Montreal Canadiens?

Montreal Canadiens v Toronto Maple Leafs

Guhle was drafted No. 16 by the Habs in the 2020 draft. He's in his second season with the Canadiens.

This season, the 21-year-old defenseman has accumulated nine points through two goals and seven assists in 28 games with a plus/minus of +1. Overall, Kaiden Guhle has notched up 27 points through six goals and 21 assists with a plus/minus of -17 in 71 games.

Meanwhile, the Habs are sixth in the Atlantic Division with 33 points after 32 games. They face the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday.