With a disappointing season winding down, tempers boiled over Tuesday at the Florida Panthers' pre-game skate when forward Nathan Horton got into a heated exchange with assistant coach Mike Kitchen.
The two sides had to be separated by head coach Peter DeBoer. Horton then smashed his stick against the boards before leaving the ice.
The incident occurred after Horton was attempting to interfere with a drill that Kitchen was working on in the neutral zone with the team's defencemen.
Kitchen told TSN that he became frustrated with Horton's actions and that led to a heated exchange between the two.
Kitchen also said that he would discuss the matter with Horton prior to Tuesday's game against the Ottawa Senators, but he has no hard feelings toward Horton and believes that the incident will be quickly forgotten.
The 24-year old Horton, who is second in team scoring with 18 goals and 33 assists in 61 games, just recently returned to the lineup after missing 17 games with a fractured leg.
