We have a new contender for the NHL fight of the season.
Toronto Maple Leafs enforcer Ryan Reaves and Columbus Blue Jackets heavyweight Mathieu Olivier must have locked eyes prior to puck drop, because less than 90 seconds into Wednesday’s game, the two dropped gloves and began circling one another.
A few second later, fists began to fly, as Olivier caught Reaves with a flurry of jabs to the face, sending the 38-year-old to the ground, only to see him spring back to his skates and return fire. The pair exchanged gigantic blows for the next 30 seconds, with both sides landing some quality hits on their opponent.
As was pointed out on the broadcast, the showdown against Olivier was Reaves’s first fight of the season. Reaves is typically itching to drop the gloves with anyone who’s willing, so for it to take until late January to see him throw down is somewhat surprising.
He seemed grateful for the chance to fight, giving a respectful tap to the side of Olivier after the melee settled down.
Two of the biggest heavyweights in hockey getting into in the opening few minutes of the first period is certainly a great way to set the tone for the evening, and the fight between Reaves and Olivier certainly did not disappoint.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ryan Reaves Drops Gloves With Mathieu Olivier in Enthralling Heavyweight Scrap.