The contemptuous celebratory skate by Stampede goalie Kane Easterbrook past the Botany Swarm's bench immediately after Stampede scored its first goal of Friday night's game ended Easterbrook's play, but he was not officially suspended.
After Easterbrook's jeering, a Swarm player skated from the other end of the ice and knocked the Stampede goalie down, provoking both teams into uproar.
Helmets, gloves and sticks were strewn across the ice.
After much deliberation by team managers and officials, the Swarm player was sent to the changing rooms and subsequently Stampede's Adam Blanchette.
Stampede captain Simon Glass said the team decided to pull Easterbrook off the ice and replace him with Matt Swirtz as the team did not approve of his actions.
Blanchette received a three-game suspension, which had him miss Saturday's double-header. Glass said the suspension would be appealed.
The fight-initiating goal came in period two of Friday's game, bringing the score to 2-1 to the Swarm.
After playing catch-up all game, the Stampede got one-up on their opponents, but a final goal by the Swarm in regulation time tied the teams 6-all at full-time, forcing the game into overtime.
A hero's praise was then awarded to Stampede forward Tommy Zizian after his overtime goal which won the game for the home team.
The Swarm took Saturday's game with a 10-6 win.
Half of each team's goals were scored in the last period.
''There was a lot of penalties [but] I don't think it was anything to do with the night before,'' Glass said.
''The officiating was really strict and they missed a lot of things,'' he said, but the former Ice Black acknowledged the visitors' win.
In an interesting development, the Stampede, Swarm and the Canterbury Red Devils are now caught up in a three-way tie on the leader board.
The Dunedin Thunder sits on top and fifth team the West Auckland Admirals is at the bottom.
''We are still in a good spot,'' Glass said.
He said his team has ''a couple of guys up for various suspensions'' and he is ''still not 100% sure'' of the team's strategy for this weekend's exhibition game against the Ice Blacks.
''We have every opportunity to beat them if we play to our potential.''
But with other New Zealand Ice Hockey League teams having a week off, Glass said he does not want his players to acquire injuries.
The Transtasman Champions League was to be held in Queenstown at the weekend, and after it was cancelled it was decided the Stampede would face off against the Ice Blacks in an exhibition game.
