On Frozen Blog

In the NHL, divisional rivalries are always full of emotion and intensity. When those rivals share the same city, the emotion and intensity grows larger. This is the case in the first period of the Islander / Ranger game on Tuesday night.

Kelli Higgins and Chanel Benson are New York Islander Ice Girls. Among their game day jobs, the Higgins, Benson, and the other Ice Girls clean ice shavings in and around the goal during commercial breaks.

According to Newsday, Higgins and Benson were the recipients of a slash from goaltender Henrik Lundqvist and a spitting from the Ranger bench respectively.

But Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist declined to move [from the crease] and used his stick to whack the squeegee Kelli Higgins was using to push the snow into a pile during the first TV timeout, knocking the butt end of the squeegee stick into her stomach.

“I said ‘Excuse me’ maybe two or three times,” Higgins said Wednesday. “He didn’t move and didn’t say anything, so I gave up and went around him.

“The tip of my squeegee kind of hit the tip of his stick. I don’t know if he thought I did that on purpose or whatever, but he took a big windup and slashed the squeegee pretty good. It startled me a little bit. It didn’t feel great, but I wouldn’t say I was injured or in a ton of pain. I was shocked.”

Later on in the period, it was Benson’s turn to clean the goal crease.

… a linesman told her to clean around Lundqvist but not in the crease or the net. As she was leaving the ice, Benson skated near the boards in front of both benches, which are separated only by a panel of glass located at the center red line.

“All of a sudden, my back got wet,” said Benson, who was wearing a standard outfit of pants and halter top that leaves the midriff area exposed. “I believe one of the Rangers players who was sitting along the wall spit on my back. It had to be on purpose because I wasn’t directly in front of anyone to spit and not realize I was there.”

An NHL spokesman would not discuss the account provided by the on-ice officials.

Thanks to OFB reader “Strike Man” for the assist.