Panthers forward Nathan Horton.

BY IAN MENDES
sportsnet.ca

Florida Panthers forward Nathan Horton left in the middle of practice on Tuesday morning, smashing his stick over the boards in anger before storming off the ice.

Horton got into a heated argument with assistant coach Mike Kitchen before head coach Peter DeBoer stepped in between the pair.

After practice, Horton did not speak to the media. DeBoer downplayed the incident, saying he did not know what initially caused the friction between Horton and Kitchen.

"It's that time of the year and we're disappointed in the situation that we're in," DeBoer. "The nerves are a little bit frayed and edgy across the board."