Nathan MacKinnon left gushing blood after heated fight with Roope Hintz

Nathan MacKinnon and Roope Hintz just took their rivalry to a whole new level.

The Colorado Avalanche superstar and Dallas Stars forward dropped the gloves in a heated fight on Tuesday night, and the aftermath was brutal. MacKinnon was left bleeding profusely and headed straight down the tunnel to the locker room for repairs after suffering an open cut.

Hintz wasn’t exactly unscathed, either. The Dallas forward was seen bleeding from his busted knuckles while serving his time in the penalty box, but he appeared to get the better of the exchange.

Watch the video below to see Hintz and MacKinnon drop the gloves and the bloody aftermath that followed:

Now there’s some history here.

The two players were involved in an incident last March that left Hintz dealing with a lower-body injury. After a battle with MacKinnon behind the play, Hintz was diagnosed with a torn hamstring and missed the remainder of the regular season and the Stars’ first-round playoff series loss to the Minnesota Wild. Given that previous confrontation, it’s hard not to wonder whether this latest fight had been brewing for months.

This was also MacKinnon’s second fight of the young season, making the Avalanche star’s willingness to drop the gloves a notable storyline in its own right.

Despite the gruesome appearance of his injuries, MacKinnon did return before the end of the second period. His nose, however, was still looking pretty rough after the trip to the dressing room.

Whether this was payback for last season or simply two competitors letting their emotions boil over, the result was a video that went viral.