Edmonton Oilers
Bouchard’s Revenge? Frederic Fights Lindgren, but Was It Enough?
Trent Frederic forced Ryan Lindgren to answer for his hit on Evan Bouchard at the World Hockey Championsips, but was it enough?
It took waiting all summer for the Edmonton Oilers to get a chance at retribution, but only one period between the Oilers and Seattle Kraken for someone to get their hands on Ryan Lindgren. Edmonton’s Trent Frederic dropped the gloves with Lindgren early in the game, a bout that immediately had fans and analysts connecting the dots.
The backstory dates to the World Championships, where Lindgren delivered a high hit that knocked Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard out of the tournament. The hit drew heavy criticism at the time, with many labeling it an illegal check to the head. Bouchard’s tournament ended there, and the incident lingered through the offseason, until the Oilers would get a chance to play the NHL team that Lindgren was on.
Heading into the game, there was talk about whether Bouchard himself might look for payback. Instead, it was his teammate who stepped in. Frederic and Lindgren squared up in the first period, and social media lit up almost instantly.
“Never forget what Ryan Lindgren did to Bouchard during the Worlds,” one fan wrote. “He had to answer the bell for it tonight.” Another quipped that Frederic was there to “settle the hefty bar tab” Lindgren left behind in the summer.
Not everyone saw it as one-sided. Several observers gave Lindgren credit for accepting the challenge rather than ducking it, a nod to hockey’s unwritten code, where players are expected to answer for hits that cross the line.
Will Bouchard Be Satisfied?
A Sportsnet panel discussion after the fight dug into where the fight came from, examining how a summer international incident can carry over into an NHL regular-season game and why teammates often take on that responsibility. The Oilers weren’t about to let Bouchard handle his own business. He’s an elite defenseman with eight points, and any risk of injury would be catastrophic to his and the Oilers’ season. Many gave props for Frederic stepping up.
Unfortunately, some are also saying that the fight itself was a letdown from a revenge perspective. Frederic outsized Lindgren by a good margin, and Kevin Bieksa argued that it should have been a mismatch. Whether the fight settles the score or only adds another chapter remains to be seen. What’s clear is that Bouchard’s teammates hadn’t forgotten, and neither had the fans.
The fight wasn’t a clear win for Frederic. Lindgren held his own, and several observers gave him credit for accepting the challenge rather than ducking it.
Still, the message may matter more than the result. In hockey’s unwritten code, the point is that a dangerous hit gets answered, and Lindgren answered for it. Whether Bouchard sees the score as settled or wants more is the open question.
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