Fighting takes early dip, but NHL players say it still has a place in hockey

Ryan Reaves and Matt Rempe squared off at centre ice.

Most of the talk ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the New York Rangers — more than playoff races, points in the standings or Auston Matthews’ outrageous goal total — that Saturday night last March focused on potential fisticuffs between two NHL heavyweights.

The crowd at Scotiabank Arena roared with approval when the hulking forwards finally dropped their gloves. Reaves, the veteran, and Rempe, the new kid on the block, then calmly chatted in the penalty box about two bruisers getting all that attention.

“Humble kid,” Reaves said afterwards. “Going to be a menace in this league.”

The league would see 311 total fights across 1,312 regular-season games in 2023-24, according to hockeyfights.com. That number dropped from the 334 of 2022-23 and 331 in 2021-22.

With roughly three weeks ticked off this season’s schedule, there’s been another early downward trend.

Heading into Wednesday’s action, the NHL had seen 35 fights through 154 contests for an average of 0.23 per game, putting the pace at 298 in 2024-25.

There have been decreases before, but poll any locker room and the answer will almost always be the same — fighting still has an important place in the sport.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki and his teammates, for example, rely on defenceman Arber Xhekaj when a game might be getting out of hand.

“Your mindset’s definitely a little different when they’re on the ice,” Suzuki said before the season. “If guys are running around, Arber is always going to be there.”

The NHL had 391 fights a decade ago and 372 in 2016-17 before a decline started in earnest as rules aimed at promoting speed and skill — and ending staged fisticuffs — continued to change roster composition.

Hockeyfights.com counted 280 bouts in 2017-18 and 226 in 2018-19. The league was on pace for 229 fights when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the 2019-20 season.

Reaves said that drop came after the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup in both 2016 and 2017 minus a player with a fighting reputation. But then the Washington Capitals and the intimidating Tom Wilson downed Reaves and the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2018 final.

“All of a sudden it was like, ‘Oh, maybe you do need something in the lineup,'” Reaves said recently. “(Some people) are always going to try and get rid of fighting, but hockey is just too fast and too physical. The second you take fighting out, you’re going to have guys taking liberties on top players.

“With no repercussions.”

Anaheim Ducks captain Radko Gudas said apart from sticking up for teammates, there’s a camaraderie that comes from being in harm’s way for the sake of the group.

“You stepped out of your comfort zone,” he said. “It’s one of the hardest thing to do in hockey.”

Rempe dressed two games early this season, combining for just over 10 minutes of action, before getting sent to the minors. He was recalled this week, played Tuesday and fought on his first shift.

Rangers forward Vincent Trochek said he’s never seen anything like the buzz around Rempe last season whenever the rookie stepped on the ice at Madison Square Garden.

“I’ve only heard three guys’ names chanted at MSG,” Trochek said. “Two of them are goalies and one of them was Remps.”

Suzuki added the entertainment factor can’t be discounted when discussing fighting’s place.

“Playing in New York, every time Rempe was on the ice there was a huge cheer,” he said. “It brings something different to the game. Anything that brings fans to come in and watch, I think that’s good for the league. It’s an entertaining part of the game.

“I (wouldn’t) really like to change that part.”

Atlantic Division teams have made the Cup final seven times — with a trio of victories — since 2019.

Recent seasons have seen a team or two race out of the gate early, but there’s plenty of congestion so far in 2024-25. Three points separated second-place Tampa Bay (6-3-0) and eighth-place Boston (4-5-1) entering Wednesday’s action.

Canada’s entry into the February’s NHL 4 Nation’s Face-Off tournament will be loaded with offensive and defensive stars. Goaltending, however, remains the biggest wild card with roster deadlines set for Dec. 2.

Detroit’s Cam Talbot (.913) has the highest save percentage (.913) among Canadian hopefuls with at least five appearances this season after Tuesday’s games, followed by Cup winner Jordan Binnington (.895) of St. Louis and Montreal’s Sam Montembeault (.891).

Adin Hill (.878) — another Cup-hoisting netminder with Vegas — is also in the group currently with sub-.900 save percentages that includes San Jose’s Mackenzie Blackwood (.888), Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner (.872) and Utah’s Connor Ingram (.868).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 30, 2024.