Matthew Knies Unveils His Intentions Behind Dropping the Gloves with Zach White cloud

Toronto Maple Leafs Matthew Knies could not let opportunities to settle old scores with Vegas Golden Knights Zach White cloud slide on March 5. Knies had been waiting for a chance to retaliate since earlier in the season when White cloud's illegal hit had forced Knies to sit out. Once both players encountered each other on the ice, Knies decided it was time that he let his fists do the talking.

When the puck got dropped, Matthew Knies made his intentions clear: The young forward had been waiting for some time to set this matter right with White cloud for the hit that sidelined him. As he later told it, this was about proving himself and making sure these kinds of things were not forgotten.
I think it just kind of lined up perfectly that we were both starting, and I thought I'd ask him and kind of get it out of the way early,” Knies said “I just kind of earned some respect there, and I just wanted to get back at him a little bit for the hit.”(via The Hockey News)

Teammates were aware of the plan, with Mitch Marner saying Knies told the group before the game. Marner conceded they weren't sure if a fight would happen, but added respect to Knies for standing his ground when it did.

Knies went on to fight seconds after the puck was dropped in front of the opposing bench. The Maple Leafs ended up losing the match 5-2, with Tampa seeing scoring from Tomas Hertl, Noah Hanifin, Jack Eichel, and Tanner Pearson while only Auston Matthews and Marner scored for Toronto.

Toronto head coach Craig Berube, hard-nosed in his own NHL career, completely respected Knies' resolve to drop the gloves, explaining that even beyond the grudge were matters of self-respect and standing up for himself.
"I think going back to that hit, he wanted some redemption," said Berube. I give him a lot of credit to do that and get it out of the way early and then go play hockey." Knies is now in his second full season in the NHL and is developing his game with every passing day. These traits only increase what he brings to the table when on the ice.
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Although the Leafs could not find a way to win, Matthew Knies made it quite clear that he held no grudges. His act of standing up for himself earned him respect, which simply goes to show that he respects the game enough to fight for his own teammates.