The AHL is the development league for aspiring NHLers, and for the players in the American league, they will leave it all on the line for a spot with the big club.
Even more so, the ECHL is where aspiring players with wishes to make the NHL begin their journey with trying to earn a spot in the AHL and then hopefully the NHL.
So if you can imagine these players will fight and hit as hard as possible.
As evidenced by this scrap between Austin Crossley and Travis Howe. Which resulted in a one-sided affair.
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The fight resulted in a bloody mess and one player getting man-handled so to speak.