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By Joshua Clipperton

Ryan Reaves and Matt Rempe faced off at center ice.

Most of the talk before the Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the New York Rangers – more than playoff runs, points in the standings or Auston Matthews’ outrageous goal total – last Saturday night last March, focused on possible fights between two NHL heavyweights.

The crowd at Scotiabank Arena roared in approval as the towering forwards finally dropped their gloves. Reaves, the veteran, and Rempe, the new kid on the block, then discussed calmly in the penalty box about the two murderers who were getting all this attention.

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“Humble child,” Reaves said afterward. “It’s going to be a threat in this league.”

The league would see 311 total fights over 1,312 regular season games in 2023-24, according to hockeyfights.com. This number increased from 334 in 2022-23 and 331 in 2021-22.

With about three weeks left on the schedule this season, another downward trend was observed.

Prior to Wednesday’s action, the NHL had seen 35 fights in 154 games for an average of 0.23 per game, raising the pace to 298 in 2024-25.

There have been decreases before, but survey 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 defenseman Arber Xhekaj when a game threatens to get out of hand.

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

The NHL had 391 fights a decade ago and 372 in 2016-17 before a decline began in earnest, as rules aimed at promoting speed and skill – and ending organized fisticuffs – continued to modify the composition of the workforce.

Hockeyfights.com counted 280 fights in 2017-18 and 226 in 2018-19. The league was on pace to play 229 contests when the COVID-19 pandemic ended the 2019-20 season.

Reaves said that decline came after the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017, without a player with a reputation as a fighter. But then the Washington Capitals and the intimidating Tom Wilson beat Reaves and the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2018 Finals.

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

“Without any repercussions.” »

Anaheim Ducks captain Radko Gudas said that in addition to standing up for your teammates, there is a camaraderie that comes from being in danger for the good of the group.

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

Rempe played in two games early in the season, combining for just over 10 minutes of action, before being sent to the minors. He was recalled this week, played Tuesday and struggled in his first appearance.

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Rangers forward Vincent Trochek said he never saw anything like the buzz around Rempe last season every time the rookie stepped on the ice at Madison Square Garden.

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

Suzuki added that the entertainment factor cannot be ignored when discussing the place of fights.

“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 gets the fans to come watch, I think it’s good for the league.” This is an entertaining part of the game.

“I wouldn’t really want to change that part.”

BIG crowded book

Atlantic Division teams have reached the Cup final seven times – with three wins – since 2019.

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Recent seasons have seen one or two teams leave early, but there is 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) heading into Wednesday’s game.

QUESTIONS ABOUT FOLDS

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

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

Adin Hill (.878) – another Cup goalie with Vegas – is also part of the group currently with save percentages below .900 that includes San Jose’s Mackenzie Blackwood (.888), Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner (.878) .872) and Connor Ingram of Utah. (.868).

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

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Joshua Clipperton’s weekly NHL blog is published every Wednesday.

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