Bickerstaff accused Prigioni of triggering the incident that saw them both ejected by insulting his players.

“There were things said by their assistant coach,” Bickerstaff said.

“I’m in the same boat as my guys are in. We’re going to defend each other and I’m not going to let people say belligerent things about my guys.

“And it’s that simple. So he said what he said. He knows what he said.”

Minnesota head coach Chris Finch later suggested Detroit’s physical approach early in the game had triggered the flashpoint.

“I thought leading up to that, the game was way too physical,” said Finch.

“It was a little lopsided in its physicality and I thought it was bound to happen. It just felt like it was coming.

“We knew they were a super physical team. They hit you, they hold you… but I just thought it got to a point where players were going to take matters into their own hands, and you don’t ever want that.”