Drop the gloves!
The NYPD and LAPD hockey teams will meet for the first time in their departments’ histories Saturday, as the nation’s biggest police forces face off in a cross-country showdown at 3:45 p.m. at The Rinx in Hauppauge.
“We’ll see what kind of rivalry we get going,” NYPD captain George Antzoulis told The Post.
“Two huge police forces that everyone always compares to each other,” said Antzoulis, a defenseman who is already hoping the teams arrange a rematch in Los Angeles next year.
New York’s Finest enter the matchup with plenty of momentum. In March, they defeated their longtime rivals from the FDNY, 3-2, earning their first victory over the Bravest in a decade.
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That game at UBS Arena also became an international viral sensation after a wild line brawl, with Antzoulis among those throwing punches.
Whether Saturday’s contest produces another glove-dropping spectacle remains uncertain.
“I’m sure the fact that they’re cops and not firemen probably makes it a little better, but, I mean, to be determined,” Antzoulis said with a laugh. “There’s definitely hitting. So all it takes is a little bit of a bigger hit, and it’s a free-for-all.”
What is certain is that both New York and Los Angeles will leave everything on the ice, putting on a show as fellow officers compete to protect and serve the puck.
“A lot of us are all still working long days and nights right before leading up to that game,” Antzoulis said. “There’s going to be guys that are coming off a midnight shift and going straight to the rink.”
