Top 10 Bloodiest Hockey Games Ever

For better or worse, hockey is known for its fighting. However, this line brawl between the Calgary Flames and the Vancouver Canucks seems just a wee bit excessive. The fracas kicked off right after the puck dropped, and immediately escalated into an all-out melee between both teams. It felt like something from a movie as separate scraps erupted all around the rink. The officials could barely maintain control for the first couple minutes, before things finally settled down. Penalties were then doled out before the game could finally begin in earnest.

David Backes of the St. Louis Blues definitely felt this hit from Chicago Blackhawk Brent Seabrook. It’s written all over his face as a dazed and bloody-mouthed Backes attempts to maintain a vertical base on the ice. We’re honestly amazed Backes even got up from this one, because the Blues’ Captain got absolutely blindsided into the boards. The result was an instant fight between both teams, with Backes trying to get into the fray. It wasn’t to be, however, as the Captain was actually taken out of the game. Meanwhile, Brent Seabrook received a three game suspension for his actions.

There are a number of teams in the National Hockey League that have become somewhat synonymous with their…let’s say “aggressive” style of play. The Philadelphia Flyers are one such team, often ready to scrap at a moment’s notice. This match-up between Philly and the Toronto Maple Leafs was notable for a vicious fight early on between Wendel Clark and Daniel Lacroix. But it didn’t end there, as both teams’ goalies actually got into the action. The punches flew fast and furious between Ron Hextall and Felix Potvin, with masks and shirts getting ripped off of both men. The crowd, meanwhile, ate the entire thing up, from first punch to last.

This game marks the first appearance of the Boston Bruins on this list, but trust us…it won’t be the last. Heck, it’s not even the only example of a bloody brawl between the Bs and their Great White rivals, the Habs. The two teams have engaged in a number of infamous scraps over the years, but this one from 1978 may just take the cake. The Canadiens’ Pierre Bouchard was beaten so badly by Boston’s Stan Jonathan that the blood was literally all over the ice. The fact that this was during a time when helmets were optional in the NHL makes it feel like “old time hockey” in the most controversial way.

The Red Wings are a tough team, but Detroit’s Kris Draper had to be taken out of this NHL playoff game with a badly bloodied face. This was all thanks to a ruthless hit from Colorado’s Claude Lemieux, one that sent Draper careening into the boards. The Red Wing slumped down almost immediately, and was led off the ice with a towel over his face to try and contain the damage. It’s a short and not-so-sweet bit of violence during a series that eventually saw Colorado winning the Stanley Cup later on in the finals.

Bloody hockey fights aren’t just limited to the NHL. Case in point? This more recent brawl took place in the American Hockey League, the NHL’s developmental territory. Kurtis Gabriel of the Rockford Icehogs got absolutely pounded by Mathieu Olivier of the Milwaukee Admirals. The bout was so one-sided, in fact, that Gabriel’s face seemed to be swimming in blood within his mask. And honestly? It looked even worse when the mask came off. This game proved that the ideal of blood ‘n guts hockey is still very much alive in the modern day.

We’re looking elsewhere from the NHL once again for our next fight, a pier six brawl that seems to last forever. It took place in the now defunct Ice Hockey Superleague, between the Nottingham Panthers and the Sheffield Steelers. It’s honestly difficult to keep up with all of the action, as fights erupt across the ice. The whole affair ebbs and flows, as tempers rise and blows are continually rained down upon opponents. We’re sure no one involved left this one unscathed, as evidenced by the mass of discarded gloves, sticks and helmets abandoned on the ice.

Hey, guess what? It’s Boston Bruins time again! The Chicago Blackhawks’ David Koci never seemed to have a chance against Bruins’ defenseman Zdeno Chara. He puts up a little retaliation against a flurry of blows, but it’s quickly established that Koci is severely outmatched in this fight. Chara annihilates the Blackhawk with clubbing blows that leave the Chicago Left Winger bloodied and bruised. It’s not a long sequence, thankfully, but one that leaves enough blood on the ice to make this match-up yet another one for the B’s “tough guy” legacy.

If you felt bad about what happened to the Detroit Red Wings earlier, then this grudge match from 1997 may make you smile with a bit of schadenfreude. That’s because this sequel meeting between Detroit and the Colorado Avalanche definitely saw the former exacting some major revenge. One popular nickname for the encounter is “Bloody Wednesday”, and it’s easy to see why: both the ice and players are covered in the stuff. Punches are thrown, pro wrestling clotheslines are doled out…basically everyone got involved for a schoolyard brawl masquerading as hockey.

There were a lot of fights during this 1979 game between the New York Rangers and (surprise!) the Boston Bruins. The real drama occurred after the match was over, however, during a post-game scrap between the B’s Al Secord and New York’s Ulf Nilsson. It all ended up with a Rangers fan named John Kaptain reaching over the stands to whack Boston’s Stan Jonathan and steal his hockey stick. The Boston team responded by climbing into the stands to chase down Kaptain, and a full-scale brawl erupted. It’s the sort of incident that feels surreal watching it now…but it sure makes for captivating television.