The Top 5 Fighters in the NHL – 2024

There’s been a lot of hockey on as of late that featured zero fights. The NHL All Star game, the Beanpot, and “any Boston Bruins game” to name a few.

Seriously, I don’t even remember the last time the Bruins had a fight. I see scraps throughout the National, and other leagues, so I know it’s still a “thing” – just not with our beloved Bruins.

Bruins on Their Best Behavior

A couple weeks ago in a 4-0 trouncing of the Philadelphia Flyers, there wasn’t so much as a cross word. Last night against the Canucks, in a lopsided Bruins win, there likewise wasn’t a whisp of aggro. In spite of a river of really bad blood between the two clubs, going back to the 2011 finals,. A fight, was not to be – and I never thought I’d miss the Sedin Sisters.

To the point. There’s fighting going on, not in Boston, but there’s fighting going on. And apparently not just on Saturday nights – which I have been led to believe is so/so, or even alright for fighting.

Increase in Fighting in the NHL

Our friends at The Hockey News, using some data compiled by the guys at hockeyfights.com, are saying that fighting is up in the NHL – through the first 368 games played during the 2023-2024 season. There’s been a total of 97 fights, which averages out to 0.2636 fights per game. That’s 1 in every 4 games, and a delightful statistic.

Looking at the totals from the previous two seasons, there were 334 scraps in 2022-23, and 2021-22 had 331 fights over the full 82 games slate.

At the current pace, the NHL is on target for 345 fights – or an increase of 11, year over year. Now, these numbers aren’t earth-shattering, to be sure, but in this day and age, it is a little shocking/awesome to see hockey fighting on the rise.

All this data it begs the simplified question: Who’s doing all the fighting? In recent the past it’s been Nicholas Deslauriers and Tom Wilson carrying the load. But who are the current 2024 ruffians?

The Top 5 Fighters in the NHL Are:

• Andreas Englund – Los Angeles – 8 Fights
• Liam O’Brien – Arizona – 8 Fights
• Nicholas Deslauriers – Philadelphia – 7 Fights
• Brady Thachuk – Ottawa – 6 Fights
• Jonah Gadjovich – Florida – 6 Fights

What is in the water in these Eastern Conference arenas? 3 of the top 5 are in the East. Of the premiere fighters, only Andreas Englund is on a team currently in playoff contention. He had a terrific scrap against Trent Frederic earlier in the year, earning him the “Freddy Fisticuffs” nickname. Ironically enough, it was in the last game Milan Lucic played this season, and possibly ever. I am so mad at him, but that’s a whole other story.

Why are NHL Hockey Fights Increasing?

Why all the fighting, guys? I can speak for Liam O’Brien. We’ve covered his want to stir the pot here a couple of times already this year. Brady Tkachuk, I have seen fight out of frustration. He reminds me a bit of Shorsey. I guarantee he cries when he gets frustrated.

Deslauriers is one of the last goons in the game, and I’m not surprised to see his name on this list at all. Andreas Englund has built a reputation for being a big, tough defenseman that will throw hands when called on, as evidenced by having 8 scraps this year. Gadjovich plays on a really shitty team. I bet he’s trying to set the tone a lot.

I mentioned earlier in the season that guys seemed to be fighting angry. The trend of squaring up and throwing punches at each other is continuing.

Fighting is still a big part of the WHL and OHL, but the ban on fighting in the QMJHL seems to have worked as they’ve had only 8 fights as a league. Those Quebec kids are going to have to rely on their Western and Ontario peers to defend them in the show.

Bottom line: It’s encouraging to me that fighting is still alive in hockey. It remains the only game in which the players police themselves. You play with disrespect, and you’ll be dealt with.

I’m not saying it’s “well”, but it’s definitely “alive”. Is what I’m saying. I’m saying that.