Minor league hockey players finish game with all-out brawl [Video]

Players from the Adirondack Phantoms and Portland Pirates were two minutes from completing their game when they evidently decided an all-out line brawl would make for a grand finale Sunday night.

It’s one thing when the goons square off to make a point about getting too physical with a star player or serve up retaliation for a perceived cheap shot, whether a penalty was given or not.

Portland was leading, 2-0, in the American Hockey League game when Adirondack, which had pulled its goalie, lost control of the puck and the Pirates headed toward an empty net. But Phantoms captain Ben Holmstrom peeled back and leveled Portland center Brendan Shinnimin with what appeared to be a late hit.

Players from both teams turned back and joined the fray, with Pirates defenseman Connor Murphy squaring off with Holmstrom. Murphy was then toppled by two other Adirondack players who literally jumped him as he fought Holmstrom.

Soon, every player on the ice was squaring off with an opponent, including Phantoms goalie Cal Heeter, who had returned to the ice to confront Portland’s Louis Domingue.

The announcers in the video above try to sort it out for you.