The Best Hockey Fights Ever

• By Ted on Sunday, May 31, 2009
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When I was eight, my dad tucked me in once. (Semi-rare occurrence.) He had been gone most of the night, and when I asked him where he had been, he says back (laughing), "I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out."

I wouldn't start following sports until later that year, so at the time, I had absolutely no clue what it meant. When you're eight and your dad laughs as you're about to go to sleep, you laugh too. So I did. I didn't get the joke for a full two years. 

I'll admit -- not the biggest hockey fan. No one on the Where We Watch actively seeks it out, although we are watching the Cup Finals over the next week and a half, and I'm fairly sure we watched the NHL Skills Competition this winter. However, the irony is quite basic: we love fighting. Literally counting down the days till Pacquiao vs. Mayweather gets (a) inked and (b) actually happens. Hockey has a ton of fighting. For example:

 

That's a damn good clip, probably the most comprehensive on the Internet for tremendous hockey fights. Our personal favorite of all-time, though (we watched it at work) has to be Senators vs. Sabres from February of 2007. At the time, these two squads were doing battle often in the playoffs, and as a result, there was no love lost. (Sidebar: had a discussion at Landsdowne Road, a good sports bar on 10th Avenue, during Game 1 of the Cup Finals about what term really means. Simple enough: it means there is not any love to lose.) What makes Senators/Sabres even more intense? The cities are both hockey-mad, and 2-3 years ago, the teams were both awesome -- but when they met each other, they'd beat the crap out of each other, thus weakening the winner for future opponents. 

Here's the clip of the famous brawl:

 

Humble recommendation: go to the 2:43 mark and let 'er rip from there. The COACHES get into it.

If you'd like to see some old-school Detroit Red Wings vs. Pittsburgh Penguins brawling, check this clip from 1983. Note the mustard yellow ugly Pens uniforms, as well:

 

This should be a good jumping off point for discussions with your friends at the bars we're spotlighting for the Cup Finals. Suggested intro: "Hey, hockey has some cool fights, eh? Let me show you this post." If they're not into the discussion, punch 'em. Naw. We don't really condone that. 

 

If you have questions about the best spots to watch a specific game or specific team, you can feel free to e-mail the author of this post at ted@wherewewatch.com.