Connor McDavid finally snaps and throws punches in Dallas!

Things got heated Thursday night in Dallas when Connor McDavid stepped in to defend his teammate Leon Draisaitl during a tense matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and the Stars.

Late in the second period, a puck was fired toward Draisait, whether intentionally or not, and McDavid clearly didn’t appreciate it. The Oilers captain immediately confronted Dallas rookie center Justin Hryckowian, grabbing him, ripping off his helmet, and landing a couple of shots as the two tangled near the end of the frame.

Despite the intensity of the moment, officials assessed only matching roughing minors to both players.

Watch the moment in the video below:

But the tension didn’t stop there.

The Oilers bench took exception to the rookie mixing it up with their captain, and the third period quickly turned into a message-sending session. Several Edmonton players made a point of challenging Hryckowian, including heavyweight forward Trent Frederic, as the temperature of the game continued to rise.

The late-game animosity suggests this rivalry may just be getting started. With the playoffs approaching and both teams expected to be contenders, a potential postseason matchup between Edmonton and Dallas suddenly looks like it could come with plenty of bad blood. And even captain McDavid is willing to get involved!