There are some moments in sports that you couldn’t even make up if you tried.
One such moment came in a game between the Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday, when brothers Mathieu and Pierre-Olivier Joseph were handed coincidental penalties… for high-sticking each other.
Penguins defenceman Pierre-Olivier’s stick hit older brother Mathieu in the face as the Senators forward missed his check, prompting the other end of the twig to catch Pierre-Olivier in the mouth. While it seemed only fair that Pittsburgh would be assessed the only infraction on the play, both Josephs were sent to the box to each serve two-minute minors, grinning and shaking their heads in disbelief.
Perhaps even more hilarious was their parents’ reaction, as mom and dad could only shrug while their sons created the NHL’s blooper of the night.
The siblings from Laval, QC. faced off for their first ever NHL game against one another on Friday, with Pierre-Olivier’s Penguins coasting to a comfortable 4-1 win at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
The pair were supposed to clash on Wednesday in Ottawa, but Mathieu was made a healthy scratch by head coach D.J. Smith for an ‘internal’ incident. The Josephs reportedly had as many as 50 family members in attendance for the Senators’ 5-4 overtime at Canadian Tire Centre.
The 25-year-old held himself accountable for his actions which resulted in the rather embarrassing situation when speaking to reporters on Thursday.
“I’m just going to talk about this once,” Joseph said. “This was an internal thing. I made a mistake and I’m ready to assume the consequences of it. This is on me, and it’s my responsibility. I know I can be better and I will.”
Mathieu has nine points in 25 games with Ottawa this season and had not played since Dec. 12 due to lower-body injury. He won two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021.
Pierre-Olivier has been something of a revelation to the Penguins this season, displaying steady two-way defensive play and accumulating 12 points in 40 games this season. The 23-year-old was selected by the Arizona Coyotes with the 23rd-overall pick in 2017. He was acquired by Pittsburgh in 2019 as part of the return for Phil Kessel.
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