Marlies’ Kyle Clifford goes after Belleville’s Boko Imama in Calder Cup handshake line

A bizarre incident occurred at the end of a playoff series in the American Hockey League.

On Sunday, the Belleville Senators eliminated the Toronto Marlies in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. The best-of-three series went the distance, with Garrett Pilon scoring the game-winner in overtime for the primary affiliate of the Ottawa Senators.

However, the fireworks did not stop there.

One of the greatest traditions in hockey is the handshake line at the end of a playoff series, as the two teams show a sign of respect at the end of an extended battle. However, during the handshake line on Sunday, Marlies forward Kyle Clifford stopped going through the line, and went after the Senators’ Bokondji Imama.

It is unclear whether or not Imama said something to Clifford as they passed by one another, but something set Clifford off to step out of the line.

The two players do have a history. On the Marlies’ broadcast, the longtime play-by-play voice of the team, Todd Crocker, provided some context.

“First of all,” Crocker explained in real time. “I will tell you that Boko Imama said some horrible things the other night on the bench to Kyle Clifford. I don’t know if the Marlies would ever do this, file some sort of protest, but that was ridiculous. That’s what precipitated that exchange.”

In the second game of the series, Clifford was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for boarding Belleville’s Tyler Kleven.

Clifford and Imama were involved in another altercation earlier this season. In a game on Jan. 12, Imama clipped Marlies goaltender Dennis Hildeby as they were skating off the ice after the second period, with Clifford taking immediate exception.

Both players were kicked out of the game, with Imama receiving two game misconducts. Clifford and Imama were suspended three games each following the incident.