Line brawl erupts during US vs. Canada women's exhibition game.

[Skeeter Barnes]

10 fighting majors given in this exhibition game. You reckon they don't like each other much?

The hit at the beginning of the video clip looked like a good shoulder to shoulder hit to me, not a hit from behind. Replay at 1:15. The article below said it was "illegal".

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Jocelyne Lamoureux took exception to Brianne Jenner's late run at Josephine Pucci, setting off another fiery round in the U.S. women's hockey team's rivalry with Canada.

Lamoureux nailed Jenner with an illegal bodycheck and, seconds later, Lamoureux, sister Monique and U.S. teammates Hilary Knight, Gigi Marvin and Kacey Bellamy were brawling with Canada's Jenner, Melodie Daoust, Jocelyne Larocque, Meaghan Mikkelson and Vicki Bendus.

"I think we came in and defended our teammates, did what we had to do," Jocelyne Lamoureux, a former University of North Dakota star playing in her home rink, said after the Americans' 4-1 victory Friday night in the pre-Olympic exhibition game. "It's always going to be heated (against Canada). The intensity is always going to be there."

The referees handed out 10 fighting majors and a string of other infractions after the melee with nine seconds to play. The two teams also fought in October late in a game in Burlington, Vt., with all 10 skaters squaring off late in the third period. They had another big scrap in 2010.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_24772892/u-s-and-canadian-womens-hockey-teams-cannot

[Iggo]

1. That's my kind of friendly!

[caraher]

2. Illegal because all body checking is illegal in women's hockey

It's just like the beer league I play in - intentional body checking is against the rules, whether or not it would be considered a "clean" hit in the NHL, men's college, junior, high school, or other leagues.

I don't see a reason why they couldn't allow body checking in women's hockey, but when the rule is that you can't it changes what you expect when you go into the corner. So a clean hit is more of a dirty play one might take exception to.

[Skeeter Barnes]

3. Didn't know that. Thanks for the explanation.

[Capt. Obvious]

4. Yes, but refs tend to let US vs Canada get rough

[frylock]

5. old time hockey!