Better than Hockey fights, the top 12 Hockey Goalie fights
By Gilgemesh • Mar 26th, 2008 • Category: HockeySo, with the huge amounts of publicity that the recent Jonathan Roy goalie fight, yes that is Patrick’s son, has been getting in the news and via blogs across hockey fandom, I felt it was time to put together a new list of the best goalie fights of all time.
Before we do so, I thinks it is a must to point out a few of my ideas pertaining to hockey fights and goalie fights in particular. I am a fan of fighting in hockey. I am not a fan of a fight between 2 people when one of them obviously doesn’t want any part of it. This seems to be the case in the Jonathan Roy fight. I also don’t see there being a need for fighting in junior hockey. Let the big dogs fight. The kids should be learning to play.
Now, about goalie fights. It is, in my opinion, one of the best moments you can watch in a hockey game. There is some unwritten rule that goalies can only fight other goalies. It makes for great drama as one or the other guy has to skate the full length of the rink to fight another guy who is covered head to toe in equipment. Funny. A little sad. But priceless.
So, without further ado, I present my list:
12. I give this spot to Neil Little. Here is a link to the clip. You can watch from the start or skip ahead to around 45 seconds in to see him jump the pile of guys and start swinging. This is one of only two clips in my list where the goalie fights someone other than the other goalie.
11. Steve Shields vs Garth Snow. This one doesn’t get going til around 1 minute 15 seconds, but the rest of the fight is worth watching while the goalies build to their bit. Gonna be a few Flyers in this list but don’t call me a Homer. I got a bunch of Avalanch fights as well. Some places just like fighters. Apparently those places are Philly and Colorado.
10. Dan Cloutier vs Sean Gauthier. This one is short, and not one of Cloutiers best, for that see #3. But I like the Florida rivalry.
9. And, it’s back to Philly for Nittymaki vs. Chiodo. Notable for 3 reason’s. The announcers are quite funny, Chiodo does the traditional hockey fight ‘pull your jersey over your head’ thing to Nitty, and Nitty gets his brains beat in.
8. Ray Emery vs. Martin Biron. For those county my Philly references it is nice to note that Biron now plays for the Flyers. This is the other clip where a skater goes after the keeper. As Emery goes toe to toe with Biron and then with Peters.
7. Wow. This is getting harder. I’ll go back to the Phantoms again for this Martin Houle vs. Adam Monroe bout that is notable because they throw down hard at center ice, you can see the other players standing around watching, and the announcer compares Houle to the recently retired Neil Little (see #12 above).
6. Justin Peters and Adam Denis in the Plymouth vs. London brawl. This one is classic because you can watch the goalies inch closer to each other. They’re talking calmly. The camera cuts away. Then all of a sudden they are squaring off and throwing down around the minute mark of the clip.
5. And once again back to Philly for this tilt between Robert Esche and Patrick Lalime. I was at this one. There were 6 total fights in the last 3 minutes of the game. The most penalty minutes of any game, ever. There were 2 guys left on the Flyers bench and 3 on Ottawa’s by the final horn. It was Brilliant. And good announcing, as they not only try to keep up with each altercation, but rate the fighters as well.
4. Patrick Roy vs. Mike Vernon. The first of Pat’s 2 spots on the list. And, both are fights against Detroit goaltenders. I like this one because Roy already has most of his gear off from an earlier altercation and he still gets into it. The man had fire.
3. Dan Cloutier vs. Tommy Salo. First Cloutier beats him like a red head stepchild, then he taunts the bench. This would have taken top honors if he didn’t keep hitting Salo while he turtled up on the ice.
2. Felix Potvin vs. Ron Hextall. I really wanted this one to be my top choice, and it is a great fight, but I just can’t feel right pushing it past the one that is truly the best.
1. Chris Osgood vs. Patick Roy. Not just an all time great goalie fight, but one of the best hockey fights ever. They take their masks off first. It was over a year in the making. There was a huge rivalry between the two teams. And it happens at center ice.
Well, that does it for the list. Do you think I am biased? Did I leave out your favorite? Leave your comments below.
Gilgemesh is the person your mother warned you about. And, if she didn't, please email me at the link below, we have much to discuss.
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[…] To see their full list of the greatest goalie fights, click here. […]
Not a bad list but you left out the Blues/Red Wings brawl that included Curtis Joseph vs. Tim Cheveldae from the early 90’s.
Much respect for getting Hextall on the list!!!!
How could you leave off Ron Hextall beating the crap out of Chris Chelios in the 1987 Playoffs?
looters, a good suggestion. Maybe Ineed to expand this to a top 15.
Jeff, I tried to keep the list to Goalie on Goalie fights. With the exception of the Neil Little one, which only has a bit of Goalie on Goalie action. There are a number of good Goalie on skater fights, with the Hexy-Chelli one being a classic.
Dude, Roy got his butt kicked by both Vernon and Osgood. No fire, just a sissy. He landed punches and neither Vernon nor Osgood had a mark on them but Roy left all bloodied. His purse must have gotten in the way.
you forgot the best one ever….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5ZROi-amCE
How can you call this a list of goalie fights without CuJo v. Cheveldae? Ken Wilson’s call of “Here comes Cheveldae!!!!!!” alone ranks this at least in the top five.
check out the picture of Roy after #4. I’d say Vernon won.
http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:mZ_2pmgkzMzK0M:http://www.onfrozenblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/roy_bloody.jpg
[…] Emery vs. Biron from last year is down at #8. There is a YouTube link for each fight. HeathensOnline.com
OK. I took another look at the Cujo-Cheveldae fight . It’s good. Mostly, as Tom points out above, because the Ken Wilson makes a great call, but I feel like they don’t connect on too many punches, the fight is short, and tapers off to just a couple of guys in full equipment ice dancing. It’s possible it should have made the list, but I’m not going to let my opinion be swayed that easy.
Here is a link to the fight so you can judge for yourselves: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBC8CcHuhks
About the Beezer-Hrudey fight, this comment directed at the link Joeytmann added above, it was a good fight, just not the spectacular goalie square off of some of the others. The natural Rangers-Islanders rivalry makes it better, and I like the shot over to the backup goalie in the clip. Thanks for adding the link.
The whole avs vs detroit rivalry all started when claude lemiuex cross checked kris draper in the back and he went teeth first into the boards. If you listen on the vernon vs roy fight you here how they had to take lemiuex off the ice cause old McCarty pummled the hell out of him. Man this stuff is all from when hockey was a mans sport and if you bought a ticket to a game, you didnt get your moneys worth till someone dropped the gloves. Bring Back the goons!!! Great post thx alot
You’ve mislabeled Garth Snow as Ray Emery in #13.
Redwing net minders don’t take crap from anyone. your #1 was dead on. Ozzy kicked Roy’s ass.
Jamie, THX for noticing the typo, although there is no 13, it has been fixed.
“He’s in la-la land and la-la land’s about six hours from here.”
So are the immortal words uttered from one color commentator during the Hockey.com Video of the Week showcasing the top ten one-punch knockouts.
http://www.hockey.com/hockey-blogs/general-hockey-news/818-one-punch-knockout-video-should-leave-you-reeling.aspx
One Punch Hockey Knockouts!
Maybe this is what Pat Benetar meant when she warbled Hit Me With Your Best Shot almost three decades ago.
There aren’t many things in hockey hike up the adrenaline level more than a good toe-to-toe heavyweight scrap, with apologies to those who turn away when the fisticuffs commence.
Yeah, right, much like the thousands in attendance who are out of their seats when the mitts get dropped. No one likes hockey fights, remember?
Every once in a while, a much-anticipated bout doesn’t come off exactly as planned, mainly because one of the two gets dropped with a sledgehammer shot.
Much like Vanilla Ice, let’s call it a one-hit wonder.
From Nick Kypreos to Colton Orr, from Rob Ray to Derek Boogaard, you’ll witness some seeing-eye rights and lefts landing flush on the button here.
Count how many times you wince and say “Oooo!” under your breath.
It’s a montage that should leave your head spinning.