- Oct 16, 2026
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SportsMafia Wire graphic. Team logos and player headshots via ESPN.
Fighting has increased notably across the NHL this season, with 34 games featuring at least one fight through the 120-game mark, up from 25 at the same point last season and 26 through that threshold in 2024-25.
Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon has joined the fray twice, most recently against Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz last Tuesday. MacKinnon sustained stitches across his bloody nose and a bruise under his left eye. He had previously fought Los Angeles Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke. The forward, who scored 53 goals last season and ranks second in ESPN's top 100 this year, recently added Muay Thai to his training regimen.
New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe described the MacKinnon-Hintz bout by saying, "They were both just chucking there." MacKinnon afterward said getting punched is not enjoyable, though his teammates appeared to appreciate it and he might fight again.
Erik Johnson, who played 11 seasons with MacKinnon and won the 2022 Stanley Cup alongside him, said he is surprised the star does not fight more often given his intensity.
League-wide, 288 unique players recorded a fight last season, the most since 2013-14. Mathieu Olivier of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Mark Kastelic of the Boston Bruins tied for the lead with 10 apiece. Daniel Gallant of HockeyFights.com suggested truncated training camps due to the new 84-game schedule may be contributing to the rise.
Source: ESPN - Thu Oct 22, 5:59 AM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).