Players say such hits make fighting a continued necessity. Having to deal with opposing fists, the rationale goes, will cause players to think twice about delivering cheap shots.

That's why few things make players see red more than an opponent refusing to drop his gloves. Especially if "turtling" follows.

Perhaps the most infamous "turtling" display came in March 1997 when Claude Lemieux of the visiting Colorado Avalanche was punched by Darren McCarty of the Detroit Red Wings at the start of a bench-clearing brawl at Joe Louis Arena. Lemieux the prior spring had blindsided Red Wings forward Kris Draper, breaking his jaw, in a decisive Game 6 of the Western Conference final.

Lemieux was suspended only two games and refused to apologize. Nearly an entire season later — with Lemieux missing several prior games between the teams — McCarty sought payback on Draper's behalf.

Instead of punching back at McCarty, Lemieux, known for ducking fights, immediately fell to the ice in a protective head-covering shell. Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy tried to rescue Lemieux as McCarty whaled away at him, drawing opposing netminder Mike Vernon into one of the most memorable goalie fights ever.

The hockey universe knew noncombatant Lemieux — thereafter dubbed "The Turtle" — was a marked man. The following season, in the first Colorado-Detroit game, Lemieux immediately dropped his gloves and went at it with McCarty in a bid to repair his reputation.

"I respect him for doing that as a hockey player," McCarty told reporters. "But I still have no respect for him as a human being."

Years later, the retired duo finally buried the hatchet in some off-ice appearances.

Last spring, Kraken forward Jordan Eberle made the mistake of cross-checking Andrew Cogliano and fracturing his neck during Game 6 of their opening-round playoff series. Cogliano has since resumed playing and Eberle immediately apologized, but that didn't matter when the Avalanche visited Climate Pledge Arena for this season's Kraken home opener.

Colorado forward Logan O'Connor made a beeline for Eberle, who immediately dropped his gloves. Eberle rarely fights but hung in there against the more experienced pugilist, because he knew hockey's unwritten rules demanded it.

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