NEW YORK (AP) — Two of the NHL's biggest heavyweights dropped the gloves for a knockout, drag-out, old-school hockey fight at center ice at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night.
Matt Rempe of the New York Rangers challenged Ryan Reaves of the San Jose Sharks to a fight after Reaves knocked Juuso Parssinen off his skates. Rempe likely also wanted to get his team going after falling behind by allowing a goal less than two minutes in.
After sizing each
other up and grappling, Reaves' helmet fell off, and then he was able to knock off Rempe's with his next right. The two exchanged blows for more than 20 seconds with the crowd buzzing.
Rempe got Reaves' jersey over his head and was striking at Reaves' head when linesmen Shandor Alphonso and Matt MacPherson broke it up. Reaves went to the penalty box to serve the 5-minute major, while Rempe went down the tunnel and had not returned to the bench long past the midway point of the first period.
Fans chanted, “Rempe! Rempe!” as he exited.
The league in recent years prevented players from removing their helmets prior to fighting. Reaves is one of just four players left without a visor after they were grandfathered in more than a decade ago.
“Most of the guys coming in that fight have to wear visors, so if anything, I’m at a disadvantage,” Reaves told The Associated Press after the Sharks' morning skate earlier Thursday. “I miss fighting guys with no visor because I cut my hands a lot more, and they’re able to protect themself a little bit more. I find I’ve got to get through an extra layer to get to the face.”
Fighting has drastically decreased from a time when there was one roughly every other game. Fisticuffs are down 200% since the 2000-01 season.
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