Did you miss us last week? We apologize for the brief Hockey Fights of the Week hiatus, but we come at you this week with a fully stocked recap of the best fights from the last two weeks. The NHL has temporarily closed its doors as numerous players flood over to Sochi for the Olympics, but we were granted several memorable fights over the last couple weeks to hold us over until the league resumes on February 25th.
With that, enjoy a special 9-fight installment of Hockey Fights of the Week.
9. Brandon Prust (MON) vs Ben Bishop (TB) – Feb 1
http://youtube.com/watch?v=7bxUXKQJcJ8?rel=0
Technically this was more of a scrum than an actual fight, but it's not everyday you see a netminder mix it up like this. Prust gave Bishop a tap in the junk and Bishop (not surprisingly) took offense.
8. Ryane Clowe (NJ) vs Roman Polak (STL) – Jan 28
Clowe kicked the Polak Door right off of its hinges. Polak usually holds his own and dishes out some punishment when he drops the mitts, but here he's no match for Clowe.
There's no difficulty picking a winner in this one.
7. Deryk Engelland (PIT) vs John Scott (BUF) – Feb 5
Scott only has one real purpose in the NHL and that's dropping the mitts. No one is going to pretend he adds any real value other than throwing punches. Scott may not bring much to his team, but he brought a lot to this fight with Engelland.
6. Tom Wilson (WAS) vs Nick Foligno (CBJ) – Jan 30
This scrap between Wilson and Foligno may deserve a higher spot on this list. It features blows to the head, shots to the body and flying equipment. You could probably make a strong case that this altercation was a draw, but we're giving the "W" to Wilson.
5. Mike Brown (SJ) vs Matt Hendricks (EDM) – Jan 29
Brown starts this fight on the wrong foot and nearly falls to the ice before he even starts swinging. After he recovers, Brown tilts the fight in his favor and blasts Hendricks with a left which makes us cringe.
4. Zack Smith (OTT) vs Robert Bortuzzo (PIT) – Feb 3
Spoiler alert: You're going to see Smith again later in this article. Spoiler alert #2: He's going to be one the losing side of both fights.
To be fair, Smith holds his own against Bortuzzo, but we believe the Pittsburgh Penguin is the victor in a tight, brutal fight.
3. Chris Thorburn (WIN) vs Ryan Reaves (STL) – Feb 8
Reaves wanted to start his Olympic break with a bang. In his team's final game before an extended vacation from the NHL, Reaves battles Thorburn in a tilt which might have been worthy of the top spot on this week's list.
Reaves is the winner here, but give credit to both men for producing an exhilarating fight.
2. Zenon Konopka (BUF) vs Cody McLeod (COL) – Feb 1
This is an awesome fight. We almost feel guilty placing it second. Konopka hasn't been the fighting force we've seen in previous seasons, but against McLeod he channels his fighting skills of old and delivers a memorable, exciting brawl.
Don't look for a winner. Simply sit back and enjoy a terrific tilt.
1. Zack Smith (OTT) vs Kevan Miller (BOS) – Feb 8
We told you Smith would make a second appearance on our list. Unfortunately for Ottawa fans, this time he's rocked by Miller of the Boston Bruins. Aside from not throwing many punches, Smith is decked into the boards at the conclusion of his disagreement with Miller.
Previous installments:
January 20 – January 26
January 13 – January 19
January 6 – January 12
December 30 – January 5
December 23 – December 29
December 16 – December 22
December 9 – December 15
December 2 – December 8
November 25 – December 1
November 18 – November 24
November 11 – November 17
November 4 – November 10
October 28 – November 3
October 21 – October 27
October 14 – October 20
October 7 – October 13
October 1 – October 6
The 15 best hockey fights from 2012-13.
A big "Thank you" to Hockey Fights, our #1 resource for hockey fight videos.
