Alexandre Carrier's first NHL fight with Nashville Predators did not, um, go well

Nashville Predators defenseman Alexandre Carrier picked a heck of a person with whom to pick his first NHL fight Tuesday night.

Immediately after the 5-foot-11, 174-pound Carrier watched 6-7, 228-pound Logan Stanley of the Winnipeg Jets drop teammate Cody Glass with what appeared to be a clean check, Carrier dropped his gloves and Stanley dropped him too.

Carrier briefly returned to the 2-1 victory after serving a five-minute sentence in the penalty box, but he wasn't seen again on the ice after that.

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Carrier to injured reserve

Coach John Hynes said the injury was a result of the fight. Defenseman Ryan Gravel was recalled from Milwaukee to take Carrier's place on the active roster.

Glass said he appreciated Carrier taking up for him, but said he felt a bit of guilt when he realized Carrier was injured as a result.

"Not good," Glass said when asked how he felt. "I don't want (Carrier) to fight for me ... against a guy who is 6-7 or whatever it is. I owe him a dinner, new shoes or something. That's just the kind of character he has.

"To fight someone that much bigger than him and having my back is something I'll never forget. ... I really appreciate it."

Teammates have Carrier's back

The rest of the Predators appreciated Carrier taking up for a teammate less than two minutes into the game.

"It takes a lot of courage to do that," said Predators forward Tanner Jeannot, who leads the team in fighting. "Especially after he hit (Glass). It definitely inspired all of us. Everyone's got each other's backs in there, so props to him."

Hynes said Thursday the upcoming 10-day break could go a long way toward getting Carrier back on the ice sooner than four weeks. Carrier was at Brridgestone Arena on Thursday morning, though he did not participate in the team's skate.

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"My first thought in my mind was, 'What is he doing?'" Hynes said after the game. "That's kind of indicative of him. He's a bit of a smaller guy but it's what makes him a really good player for us is just the heart and competitiveness he has. You have to commend him."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Alexandre Carrier's first fight with Nashville Predators did not go well