Although fighting in the NHL has been on a steady decline for years (sorry, Don Cherry), the recent drama surrounding the Battle of Alberta has put it back on the map—at least temporarily.
With Edmonton Oilers’ winger Zack Kassian suspended two games for his now-infamous rag-dolling of the Calgary Flames’ Matthew Tkachuk, we’re reminded of other memorable fights in modern hockey history that grabbed our attention.
Donald Brashear, Philadelphia Flyers vs. Rob Ray, Ottawa Senators
Date: March 5, 2004
Cited in some circles as the “best” modern hockey fight, this bench-clearing brawl all started when Brashear and Ray dropped their gloves in front of the Flyers’ net and started throwing punches. Ray ultimately came out the worse for wear, sporting a nasty cut to the side of his face. But it’s what came afterward that had everyone on their feet: a two-team pile-up that resulted in more than 419 penalty minutes and 20 player ejections.
Marty McSorley, Pittsburg Penguins vs. Bob Probert, Detroit Red Wings
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Date: February 4, 1994
You can’t compile a list of NHL fights without including the late Bob Probert (spoiler alert: he appears on this list more than once). This epic tilt between the winger and Pens’ enforcer McSorley has gone down in the history books as one of the longest fights without an official intervening. It clocks in at roughly 90 seconds and the mutual exhaustion the two men feel is evident toward the end.
Felix Potvin, Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ron Hextall, Philadelphia Flyers
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Date: November 10, 1996
Goalie fights are rare in the NHL, which makes them all the more memorable when they do happen. Case in point: what started as a tussle between Wendel Clark and Daniel Lacroix quickly devolved into a two-team battle that included Hextall skating the length of the ice to take on the mild-mannered Leafs’ netminder who surprisingly managed to subdue Hextall after a couple rounds. The icing on the cake is Leafs’ captain Doug Gilmour taking in the proceedings with his legs casually dangling from his perch on the edge of the boards.
PJ Stock, Boston Bruins vs Stephen Peat, Washington Capitals
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It's 30 seconds of pure chaos, capped off with an ebullient Stock waving to the crowd while sporting a fresh black eye. Both fans and announcers were clearly caught off-guard by the ferocity of this tilt.
Bob Probert, Detroit Red Wings vs. Tie Domi, New York Rangers
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Date: Feb. 9, 1992
Neither of them strangers to a fight, Probert and Domi went head-to-head in an intense bout that is exhausting to watch. It’s also easy to forget the otherwise obvious size differences between the pair, what with the non-stop pummeling and flying equipment.
Calgary Flames vs. Anaheim Ducks
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Date: December 8, 2001
Both goalies got caught in the crossfire, resulting in a bench-clearing brawl that took officials quite some time to sort out. It all started when Ducks’ netminder Jean-Sébastien Giguère was on the receiving end of a swing from heavyweight Craig Berube. The Ducks responded quickly, with Kevin Sawyer crashing the net to give Mike Vernon the same treatment. That’s when all hell breaks loose.
Zdeno Chara, Ottawa Senators vs. Bryan McCabe, Toronto Maple Leafs
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Date: January 31, 2004
Forget Zack Kassian and Matthew Tkachuk for a moment: remember when the 6'7" Chara rag-dolled McCabe so hard the latters’ skates completely lifted off the ice? The stunned looks on the faces of the boys in the blue and white says all you need to know about this shocker.
Colorado Avalanche vs. Detroit Red Wings
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Date: April 1, 1998
Although this bench-clearing battle resulted in a whopping 228 penalty minutes, it’s most notable for Patrick Roy staring down Chris Osgood from across the ice. The two sparred, with more than one official struggling to pull them apart once they both went down.
Ray Emery, Ottawa Senators vs. Marty Biron AND Andrew Peters, Buffalo Sabres
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Date: Feb 21, 2007
That maniacal grin on netminder Emery’s face is forever seared into the backs of our eyelids. After pulling down Biron in a matter of seconds, Emery sets his sights on Sabres’ enforcer Andrew Peters. It’s not every day you see a goalie take on a known fighter, but there you have it: one of the most memorable three-person battles in modern hockey history.
Marty McSorley, Los Angeles Kings vs. Wendel Clark, Toronto Maple Leafs
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When McSorley laid a heavy check to the Leafs’ Doug Gilmour, Clark wasted no time coming to his buddies’ defense. Two NHL heavyweights facing off against one another inevitably leads to additional tension. But after Clark jerseyed McSorley, Gilmour started antagonizing the Kings’ entire bench and the situation quickly escalated from there—ending with the Leafs’ coach Pat Burns going off on the Kings’ Barry Melrose behind the bench.
Dan Cloutier, New York Rangers vs. Tommy Salo, New York Islanders
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Date: Apr. 4, 1998
Chaos reigned supreme over this multi-player tussle, but it’s the surprising conclusion we all remember most vividly. Netminders Cloutier and Salo go head-to-head, but when the Isles’ goalie quickly turtles, Cloutier skates over and challenges the entire Islanders bench. There were no takers—not surprising given the drubbing Salo just took.
Mark Tinordi, Washington Capitals vs. Jason Smith, Toronto Maple Leafs
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Date: Jan. 6, 1998
It’s not every day that someone has to jump in to rescue Tie Domi from a hairy situation, but that’s exactly what happened. The unassuming Jason Smith became an unlikely hero for the Leafs as he went toe-to-toe with the bigger, stronger Mark Tinordi. The Caps’ defenceman came out the worse for wear, with a bloody broken nose while a seemingly unfazed Smith skated into the dressing room.
