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GRAND FORKS — The National Collegiate Hockey Conference has suspended a pair of NHL first-round draft picks for a brawl Saturday night after UND’s 3-1 win over Denver in Magness Arena.
UND defenseman E.J. Emery and Denver defenseman Zeev Buium will miss their team’s Friday game this week.
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UND hosts Minnesota Duluth at 7:07 p.m. in Ralph Engelstad Arena.
Denver plays at last-place Miami.
These are the first suspensions issued by the NCHC since November 2023.
The melee started at the final buzzer when Denver forward Sam Harris cross-checked UND forward Dylan James from behind in open ice. Emery then went after Harris and the rest of the players jumped in.
UND goaltender T.J. Semptimphelter, knowing Denver had six skaters on the ice to UND’s four, grabbed Pioneers captain Carter King and wrestled him to the ground. Denver defenseman Eric Pohlkamp then went after Semptimphelter and put the goalie in a headlock.
As that occurred in the corner, Emery and Buium skated away from the boards and squared off.
The two threw a couple of punches before Emery pulled Buium’s jersey over his head. Officials quickly separated them.
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Emery and Buium were called for 10-minute misconducts and two-minute minors for their part in the melee. They were not given game disqualifications. Those result in an automatic one-game suspensions.
The other players on the ice also were handed 10-minute misconducts and two-minute minors.
Referees Stephen Reneau and Nathan Wieler scrapped the traditional postgame handshake.
Altitude TV did not catch the Emery-Buium scrap on its broadcast, but the NCHC had other cameras to see what happened.
Both Emery and Buium are key players for their teams.
Emery, a first-round pick of the New York Rangers, is fourth in time on ice for UND this season, averaging 19:48 per game. He’s second in NCHC freshman minutes played. Emery has tallied one assist this season.
Buium, a first-round pick of the Minnesota Wild, played 34:27 on Saturday and is fifth nationally in average time on ice per game (25:38). Buium, a Hobey Baker Award candidate, ranks second nationally in points by a defenseman with 33 in 28 games.
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Emery’s suspension puts UND shorthanded at defense — and the Fighting Hawks are already significantly shorthanded.
UND played Saturday’s game without six players due to injury or illness — forward Sacha Boisvert (undisclosed injury), forward Jayden Perron (lower body), forward Jackson Kunz (illness), forward-defenseman Dane Montgomery (upper body), defenseman Bennett Zmolek (lower body, season-ending) and goalie Kaleb Johnson (lower body, season-ending).
UND moved defenseman Tanner Komzak to fourth line left wing to fill out its lines. With Emery’s suspension, UND will immediately move Komzak back to defense.
The status of Boisvert, Perron, Kunz and Montgomery — who account for more than 30 percent of the team’s goals this season — is unknown. UND coach Brad Berry said Saturday the players will be evaluated this week ahead of the series against the Bulldogs.
“For Sacha not to play (Saturday), it’s a pretty big deal,” Berry said after the DU series. “At the end of the day, it shouldn’t be anything significant, but we want to, obviously, take precautions with a guy like Sacha.”
UND swept Minnesota Duluth 7-3 and 4-1 in Duluth in November.
When: 7:07 p.m. Friday, 6:07 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Ralph Engelstad Arena.
TV: Midco Sports (GF Ch. 27/622 HD).
Radio: The Fox (96.1 FM).
Stream: NCHChockey.com.
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