Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images
Hockey is one of the many sports that boasts some unwritten rules that have the potential to trigger some tensions if they’re violated. That includes one that set off Rangers goalie Jontahan Quick following a loss to the Red Wings, and we were treated to a postgame fracas that was responsible for one of the best pictures of the NHL season so far.
There probably isn’t a sport with more unwritten rules than baseball, but hockey also boasts an honor code of its own and plenty of players who are more than happy to enforce it.
A number of those unspoken commandments are related to the goaltenders and the nets that they’re tasked with protecting. Guys at that position have a reputation for being a bit unhinged (which sort of makes sense when you consider they’re signing up for a job that involves routinely getting pelted with pucks with the potential to do some serious damage), and they are not shy about stepping up to establish their dominance over the domain.
Jonathan Quick did not have the chance to do that after he was pulled for an extra man toward the end of the 2-1 loss the Rangers suffered at the hands of the Red Wings on Sunday night, but that didn’t stop him from sending a message after a puck made its way into the goal after the final horn blew.
Jonathan Quick sparked a postgame scuffle after going after a Red Wings player who fired a meaningless shot on an empty net
Most hockey teams will yank their goaltender and send a sixth skater on the ice in a last-ditch attempt to mount a comeback if they find themselves trailing by a goal or two near the end of a game.
That obviously means the goalies who are sent to the bench aren’t able to protect the net, and whether or not you agree with the mindset, the opposing team is still expected to show some respect as far as the goal is concerned.
Last season, Morgan Rielly firmly earned a five-game suspension for delivering a cross-check to the face of Ridly Greig after the Senators center fired a slapshot into an empty net to seal the deal, with that latter being “punished” for the supposedly unnecessary show of enthusiasm.
If you thought that was dumb, you’ll love what unfolded at the end of Sunday’s tilt between the Rangers and the Red Wings, which officially wrapped up around a second before Detroit’s Mason Appleton flicked a puck into the empty net with a shot that didn’t impact the scoresheet in any way.
However, managed to spark quite the scene courtesy of Jonathan Quick, who left the bench where he’d been sitting after being pulled in an attempt to go after Appleton before the two teams ended up engaged in a massive skirmish.
THE BENCHES CLEARED AFTER THE BUZZER IN NEW YORK 😱
Appleton shoots it into the empty net after the horn, and Jonathan Quick takes exception 😳 pic.twitter.com/e10kQEw6c9
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 17, 2025
The officials were largely able to keep order as the players involved largely exercised some restraint on the fighting front, and the fact that both teams were wearing colored jerseys played a role in a picture that was snapped going viral after the contest.
According to TSN, Quick (who, along with Appleton, was hit with a game misconduct), attempted to justify his actions after the game, saying:
“The horn goes, a couple seconds [pass], he shoots it in the net. I don’t know why they were surprised.
It’s usually the response when something like that happens. So, boys jumped in…did the right thing.”
I can’t say I agree with what seems like a huge overreaction, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love the end result.