Best fight in NHL history?

[PaulD]

Stan Jonathan played for the Dayton Gems of the IHL when I was a kid. He was a middleweight that was afraid of nobody. You saw how he bloodied that Hab who was much bigger. He was good with the straight overhand rights. That is a devastating punch, if you can land it.

What is not mentioned much is that was the third fight of the game between the two rivals. Bouchard winning the first two. Also that Stan had just come off the bench to start his shift and caught Pierre at the end of his.

 

[PaulD]

In Bruce Hoods' book he lists his top 10 fights. Probert was in about five of them as I recall. But the top fight on his list surprised me ,

Sittler vs Nystrom.

 

[vadnais1972]

What is not mentioned much is that was the third fight of the game between the two rivals. Bouchard winning the first two. Also that Stan had just come off the bench to start his shift and caught Pierre at the end of his.

Maybe it wasn't mentioned because they only fought this one time. The fight occurred in the first period of game 4. It was the first fight of the series for both players. Both players were on the ice for the faceoff before the fight. Do you really think Scotty would have left a gassed Bouchard on the ice in a Stanley Cup final? Both Jonathan and Bouchard have won some and lost a few. Bouchard lost this one. No excuses.

 

[tmlms13]

They probably landed about 20 each

 

[Mikejfs]

It's not the best fight, but I just think its funny cause Tie Domi takes on 2 guys at once. lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB4wO2YEEK8

 

[57special]

I seem to recall Kordic and some guy from the B's going at it...was pretty epic. Both decided to knock out the other, and there was little to no sweater pulling. Non stop punching for 20 seconds or so.

 

[Sheppy]

I seem to recall Kordic and some guy from the B's going at it...was pretty epic. Both decided to knock out the other, and there was little to no sweater pulling. Non stop punching for 20 seconds or so.

Kordic vs Miller?

 

[57special]

Kordic vs Miller?

Could've been. It was a 20 second version of Hagler V Hearns. Do you remember the one I'm talking about? It was two heavyweights.

 

[kmad]

Another vote for Peat vs. Stock

 

[Drrocket9]

Nov 14, 1991 Cow Palace

The best fight I've ever seen was exactly 25 years ago tonight.

Gaetz v Probert at the Cow Palace. I thought Gaetz took a close decision

Probert was pretty agitated after, leading me to believe that he agreed.

I ran down and gave Link the big high five. He was pretty pumped up.

 

[TheBigBadCat]

clark gillies breaks ed hospodar's face

this guy could fight and play

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE-Fx63xxrE

 

[AZviaNJ]

clark gillies breaks ed hospodar's face

this guy could fight and play

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE-Fx63xxrE

Hall of Fame player, Hall of Fame fighter. Clark was typically reluctant to fight, but when he did, well ask Ed Hospodar.

 

[TheFinalWord]

Some of my personal favourites.

Keane vs Guerin



Gill vs Weimer (I was at the game and so it ranks higher for me)

 

[ps241]

The problem was Bouchard was exactly the same.

He couldn't fight before or after.

On a team of tough players (O'Reilly, Wensink, Cashman, Secord) Cherry said Stanley was the toughest of them all. Great overhand right for sure, but it's when Jonathan switches hands that he wins the fight. That changeup to the left throws Bouchard off and Bouchard lost his balance, then lost the fight. That said I'm pretty sure Jonathan broke Bouchard's cheekbone w/ the punch he threw after Bouchard was down. That punch looks downright wicked. The blood however wasn't Bouchard's, it's linesman John D'Amico's, who was gashed by Terry O'Reilly's stick during the initial scrum.



How was he not the same player? Please explain. Bouchard had his best statistical season points-wise two years later with the Caps and continued to be what he'd always been, a reliable, stay at home blueliner.



Bouchard was an OK fighter. He'd mauled Cashman a couple of years before, but he was hardly some mythical heavyweight. He never had more than 4 fights in any one season and had a grand total of 5 over the preceding four seasons. Compare Bouchard's 19 career fights in 595 games played to Jonathan's 90 fights in 411 games. Jonathan almost matched Bouchard's career # of fights that season ('77-78) alone. This fight was no upset, in spite of the size difference. Stan Jonathan was one of the best "little" fighters to have ever dropped the gloves.
Don't get me wrong, it's a great fight, but the best in NHL history? Hardly.

It's no myth, Bouchard admited it himself on TV on RDS.

He was never the same afterwards.



I think you are devaluating Johathan here.

A few points to add. Bouchard had a long fuse so he wasn’t an active fighter but when he went he was tough.

He lost a fight to Schultz but avenged that loss with a pretty decisive win in a really violent fight I watched on tv. Very similar to the Jonathan fight as far as intensity ending with both guys head butting each other but it was a clear win for Bouchard.

I also remember Jonathan saying in an article his face hurt for a week after this fight. Yes the fight ended dramatically but Pierre got in some massive shots on the way out.

Bouchard run came to an end and this fight was a big reason but I will remember him as a guy who could go with the best in his prime.

 

[jcs0218]

Bob Probert and Craig Coxe - November 19, 1987
Vancouver at Detroit

That is the most legendary fight in NHL history, in my opinion.

Probert in his prime and Coxe who had an iron chin.

 

[Kimota]

A few points to add. Bouchard had a long fuse so he wasn’t an active fighter but when he went he was tough.

He lost a fight to Schultz but avenged that loss with a pretty decisive win in a really violent fight I watched on tv. Very similar to the Jonathan fight as far as intensity ending with both guys head butting each other but it was a clear win for Bouchard.

I also remember Jonathan saying in an article his face hurt for a week after this fight. Yes the fight ended dramatically but Pierre got in some massive shots on the way out.

Bouchard run came to an end and this fight was a big reason but I will remember him as a guy who could go with the best in his prime.

Oh for sure Bouchard was a Hell of a fighter. A real badass son of a bitch. For whatever reason the Jonathan one had an effect on his psyche, I dont know why. I'm not a fighter so I can't understand it but it must be one of those things where you "met you man" as they say.

 

[ps241]

Oh for sure Bouchard was a Hell of a fighter. A real badass son of a bitch. For whatever reason the Jonathan one had an effect on his psyche, I dont know why. I'm not a fighter so I can't understand it but it must be one of those things where you "met you man" as they say.

Pierre is not alone. I use to love boxing and there were quite a few fighters who were really different after they got knocked out. Roy Jones Jr. was one of the all time greats before his first KO against and was never the same guy after. Tyson was still good but not the same fighter after Buster Douglas KO’d him.

I don’t watch UFC but my guess is there are lots of before and after fighters.

 

[ekcut]

Dave Brown starting the lawn mower.

 

[Sheppy]

Probert vs Coxe
Probert vs McSorley (Forget which round, but it felt it went like 3 mins)
Stock vs Peat

 

[sandysan]

lots of people will focus on domi and probert and john kordic, etc but one guy who went with anyone and always threw them like a piston was darrin (sp?) kimble.

not the most feared fighter but his fights were always entertaining.

 

[pbgoalie]

As a kid, I just never got over this fight

 

[67 others]

Haha "the missing link".
That guy had no screws to get loose, his head was completely mashed potatoes.

Mashed potatoes surrounded by metal endoskeleton.
That guy showed up at his draft year with 2 black eyes after getting in a bar fight the night before lol
his career was over after he was drunk driving with no seatbelt and he got brain damage from crashing through his windshield on to the road. And he kept joining minor leagues to fight

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

The NHL vs The NHLPA in 2004 was a good one, lasted over a year.

 

[SML2]

Jonathan - Bouchard was a beauty considering the size differential and the subsequent outcome.
Bouchard was never the same after.





Next time someone brings up "the code" they should watch this.

 

[PavelBure10]

The "Marathon " match up Probert vs McSorely was a beauty. Both must of been completely exhausted after that classic bout.

Cool fight
Rypien vs Janssen was a dandy. I listened to this one on the radio, and I couldn't wait to see it on TV. Janssen could do damage, he was a force at one point, I thought Rypien was done. Nope, Rypien once again left me impressed, leaving Janssen bloodied and surprised by the bout.

Probert vs Coxe was legendary.

Entertainment value, Stock vs Peat. No defense, all offense. A real brain scrambler.

Also a beauty not in NHL, "You have to watch", Tasker vs Senn.