NHL Fighting Is Up, but Still Rare — SkimNews
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- NHL logged 34 games with at least one fight through 120 games this season, up from 25 last season and 26 in 2024-25.
- Nathan MacKinnon fought Roope Hintz and Brandt Clarke this season, receiving facial stitches and a bruise after the Dallas bout; Erik Johnson said MacKinnon’s added Muay Thai training may be a factor.
- Daniel Gallant said truncated training camps following the move to an 84-game season may have created more opportunities for players to make an early physical impression; HockeyFights.com counted 288 unique fighters last season, the most since 2013-14.
- Mathieu Olivier and Mark Kastetic each recorded 10 fights last season, tying for the NHL lead among frequent fighters.
- Jack McBain’s fight with Trent Frederic ranked as the No. 2 TikTok video across all ESPN accounts last week, with Connor McDavid smiling and tapping his stick on the boards.
- The 4 Nations Face-Off became a success after three fights in nine seconds between the U.S. and Canada in 2025, while the Tkachuk brothers also turned the fighting attention into a podcasting side hustle.
- HockeyFights.com recorded an average of 0.23 to 0.25 fights per game over the last five seasons, while the share of games featuring a fight fell from more than 41% in 2008-09 to 19% last season.
Why it matters: For NHL teams and fans, the rise from 25 to 34 fight-bearing games through 120 games adds high-profile moments without returning fighting to its former scale: 19% of games featured a fight last season, versus more than 41% in 2008-09. Star participation energizes teammates, but clubs still value healthy rosters for the playoffs.
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