Well, the Leafs have three games until the end of the season, and as much as it pains me to say this, things aren’t looking good. Rooting for the team who has consistently broken your heart every April (except for last year… they waited until May, so thoughtful) is difficult enough as it is, but trying to write about them every week is even harder. I mean, how do you come up with fresh new content when all you want to type is “So the Leafs lost… again. Tune in next week when they don’t make the playoffs… again”.
Instead of writing about Leaf struggles, I’m going to write about Leaf victories. And, in order to let out all of the frustration they’ve caused with the up-and-down season they’ve had, I’m going to write about victorious fights. Because what can cheer you up quite like grown men punching each other on ice? Nothing, the answer is nothing. So without further ado, here are the Top 10 Leafs Fights of All time (or at least the ones that might make you less depressed).
Note: I could make an entire list of only Wendel Clark fights and it would show more than 10, but for the sake of diversity and time, there are going to be lots of noteworthy fights that don’t make this list. My memory is also hazy pre-1992 (mainly because I wasn’t born yet), so forgive me if some of the older classics don’t make the list. Feel free to post them in the comments, because we could all use more videos of fighting in our lives.
10. Mike Brown vs Kris Newbury
Alright, so it’s not exactly a classic, and a lot of fans might not even remember it, but anyone who knows me knows that Mike Brown had to make this list. Plus, look at the way he just decks him and decks him – the man looks like he has a robotic arm that won’t quit. The only way this could be better is if it involved one incredible handlebar moustache, but you can’t have everything.
9. John Kordic vs. Basil McRae
I could have chosen about a million different Kordic fights, but this one seemed the most appropriate. 11 seconds in and the gloves are off? Wish I had been born to see it live. God bless the Internet.
8. Tie Domi vs Bob Probert
Picking a favourite Tie Domi fight is like picking a favourite child.. I’m assuming. This isn’t the top pick (you’ll see why soon enough), but it’s definitely worth mentioning. Probert and Domi fought each other more times than I can count over their careers, and their rivalry became a fan favourite.
7. Colton Orr vs Zack Stortini
Realistically, this could have been substituted with a number of other Orr fights, but this one has some significance. Earlier in the game, Stortini slammed knees with Mikhail Grabovski, a cheap shot by most standards. Orr, always one to defend a teammate, spent over a minute laying into the Oilers’ heavyweight.
6. Buffalo vs Toronto
Ah, the pre-season. The best time to dig up old rivalries, or start new ones, or both. The Sabres and the Leafs have always had their differences, but this fight was one for the history books. Not only did Kessel go at John Scott right after the puck dropped which was shocking enough, but Bernier decided to pull a Felix Potvin circa 1996, and fight Ryan Miller (don’t worry, we’ll get to that). This was also the day that Bernier really earned his stripes in Toronto, because goalie fights are just plain awesome.
5. Darcy Tucker vs. Chris Neil/Ottawa Bench
This fight started because Tucker claims that Chris Neil spat on him. Naturally, the best reaction to that is to start a full-blown bench brawl. There are no solid statistics to support this (I checked), but I remember a significant spike in Tucker jerseys around the schoolyard after this. Because COME ON, look at that guy, he’s what elementary school hockey fantasies are made of.
4. Wade Belak vs Cam Janssen
This is fantastic for two reasons: 1) Wade Belak, and 2) Cam Janssen spastically flailing his arm in an attempt to get rid of his elbow pad. He looks like some sort of wild animal and it is hilarious.
Note: Wade Belak vs. Donald Brashear was an honourable mention here.
3. Hextall vs Potvin
This is an obvious one, but that’s what makes it so good. Hextall was about as tough as goaltenders come and Potvin was… well.. not. But, he managed to stay alive which nobody saw coming. This is one of the first hockey fights kids from my generation remember seeing, and I think it gave us some really unrealistic expectations for fights in the future. Seriously, the 90s were just so good, let’s all go back.
2. Wendel Clark vs. Marty McSorley
I know I might get a lot of criticism for not putting this in the #1 spot, so for the sake of argument let’s just say it’s tied for first. Of all the classic Wendel Clark fights in existence, this one takes the cake. Doug Gilmour got hit, Clark jumped in, and the rest is history. It’s one of those fights every Leaf fan loves, even if you weren’t born when it happened. I’ll also note that it’s worth Googling McSorley’s eye post-fight.
1. Domi vs a “rather rotund Philadelphian”
This fight wins purely based on entertainment value. If the fact that an overweight Flyers fan broke the glass and fell into the penalty box isn’t funny enough for you, the commentary is equally as hilarious. What did this fight teach us? The glass in a hockey arena is not made to last, and fat jokes are funnier on national television. Also, am I the only one who thinks this would make the perfect commercial for low-cal beer?
Rebecca Gilchrist
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