San Jose Sharks forward Zack Ostapchuk is quickly making a name for himself as the top tough guy for his new team.
Against the Washington Capitals, Ostapchuk and top NHL tough guy Tom Wilson got into a spirited fight.
After the fight ends, Wilson and Ostapchuk can be seen yelling at each other through the penalty box. What was initially thought to be two guys wanting to continue fighting wasn’t actually the case.
In Elliotte Friedman’s latest Written 32, it turns out Wilson was complimenting the San Jose Sharks forward.
“Zack Ostapchuk earned the respect of his new San Jose teammates the hard way: challenging one of the NHL’s toughest, Tom Wilson,” Friedman wrote. “After they fought last Saturday, we thought the continued yelling between them was Ostapchuk letting the Capital crusher know he wouldn’t back down and was ready for more. But someone reached out to say that wasn’t the case. Wilson, impressed, asked Ostapchuk where he came from and how much he fought.”
Ostapchuk was acquired from the Ottawa Senators as part of the deal that saw Fabian Zetterlund leave.
San Jose sees Ostapchuk as a critical piece of the future. GM Mike Grier wants Otapchuk to be the depth centerman that can help his team win in the postseason.
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