With NHL Stanley Cup playoffs set to begin in late April, hockey games became more intense as teams vied for a spot to compete. A resurfaced video shows a fight that occurred as the playoffs approached in April.
The tension boiled over during the Devils v Flyers game on April 13, with fans duking it out during the game. The graphic fan-shot video, shared to the social media platform X by Barstool Philly, shows one Devils fan taking the brunt before security removes him.
Another angle of the fight, shared by X user Mike Lauer, shows the fan tumbling over several seats before finding his footing again.
While the cause of the fight was not immediately released, fights during hockey games are not unusual, either on or off the ice. According to AP News, fights tend to break out every four to five matches, with the conflict becoming almost an expected part of the sport.
“It doesn’t happen often, but you still have to have it,” Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet told The Associated Press. “When I played, you could really use as intimidation. You can still use it a little bit today but not as much. The staged fighting and all that stuff, that doesn’t work anymore. But there is a time and place for it.”
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The acceptance of violence during hockey games may soon change, however, as recognition of the long-term consequences of repeated head trauma becomes more common. Many junior leagues have instated “fighting bans” for players, with arenas following suit with similar restrictions for fans.
After a fan fight broke out during the Canadian Championship game between Toronto FC and CF Montreal in 2023, the Montreal club closed the visitor fan section of Saputo Stadium to prevent further conflict.
Whether the NHL will write a fighting ban into the rulebook for players, or whether other stadiums will begin to take similar measures to curb fan fights remains unknown.
As for the Devils v Flyers, the Flyers secured the win with a 1-0 score. This win secured the team a second wild card spot, tied with the Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference. The Flyers quickly lost the slot after losing a match with the Washington Capitols on April 16.
