"Thought this was an MMA fight" "Charge him for assault": Hockey fans stunned as William Lagesson gets handed 3-match AHL suspension

Former NHL defenseman William Lagesson has caused a tremendous stir following the altercation he was involved in on Sunday night. Lagesson, skating for the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, got into it with Iowa Wild forward Adam Raska.

The AHL proceeded to issue William Lagesson a three-game suspension, Chris Johnston reported.

Nevertheless, the fans have strong opinions about the situation. So, here is a look at what fans had to say about the suspension:

“Buddy thought this was an MMA fight and all he got was 3 games?” a fan chimed in.

“3 games? Should have got 10 minimum,” this fan commented.

“3 games for attempted murder. Duly noted…” another fan posted on social media.

While some fans believed the suspension was too lenient, others felt the incident warranted legal action. Let’s look at what these fans had to say:

“Should be in jail,” a fan remarked.

“Charge him for assault,” this fan posted on X.

“Should of been charged... this wasn't a hockey fight,” another fan opined.

On the whole, the incident has unleashed a flurry of backlash from fans. Both the NHL and AHL would do well to listen to fans as fans don’t want to see this sort of violence on the ice.

Looking at William Lagesson’s NHL career

William Lagesson has been somewhat of a journeyman defenseman in the NHL. He was originally drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the fourth round of the 2014 Draft. He spent three seasons in Edmonton, playing 57 games from 2019 to 2022.

He was traded by Edmonton to the Montreal Canadiens in the deal sending Brett Kulak to the Oilers. However, Lagesson only appeared in three games for the Habs during the 2021-22 season.

Lagesson then signed with the Carolina Hurricanes but never played a game for the team; he spent the 2022-23 season in the AHL. He eventually got a chance with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2023-24 season, appearing in 30 games for a depleted Leafs’ blue line.

However, Toronto placed Lagesson on waivers, allowing him to be claimed by the Anaheim Ducks. He appeared in 10 games for the Ducks, failing to register a point. In 100 NHL games,

William Lagesson has accrued 11 assists and 54 PIM. Those totals were enough to earn him a contract from the Detroit Red Wings this past July but has failed to suit up for the Red Wings in an official NHL game.