Ryan Johansen: Ryan Kesler ‘made a little bit of a fool of himself’

Watch as Ryan Kesler and Ryan Johansen drop the gloves late in the second period of a game between the Anaheim Ducks and Nashville Predators.

Nashville Predators centre Ryan Johansen spoke to The Athletic’s Adam Vingan and addressed this summer’s Twitter exchange with Anaheim Ducks agitator Ryan Kesler.

Kesler called Johansen out earlier in August, seemingly challenging the 26-year-old to a fight.

The Predators star didn’t directly respond to the actual tweet, but did send this out a few hours later.

“I don’t know what he was doing that day,” Johansen told Vingan. “Clearly I don’t think he was thinking right because he made a little bit of a fool of himself.”

The two forwards have a bit of a history, dating back to the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Johansen called out Kesler after Game 2 of the Western Conference Final, saying “his family and friends watching him play, I don’t know how you cheer for a guy like that.”

Kesler then appeared to taunt Johansen after the two fought in a game this past spring.

The NHL doesn’t have too many out-in-the-open personal rivalries between its players, but in Johansen versus Kesler there’s at least one worth watching.

The Predators don’t play the Ducks until Nov. 12.

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