Watch what fans are calling the 'hockey fight of the year' between Toronto and Columbus
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The art of fighting is being progressively weaned out of the NHL these days. But every once in a while, a bout comes along that reminds you of its importance in the sport of hockey. On Wednesday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the Columbus Blue Jackets at Scotiabank Arena.
![[The fight happened early on in the game - barely even two full minutes into the first period]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/23/18/94447357-14318459-image-a-60_1737656877386.jpg)
Early on in the game, barely two full minutes into the first period, two heavyweights in the sport collided as Columbus' Mathieu Olivier squared off against Toronto's Ryan Reaves. Olivier has only been playing in the NHL since the 2019-20 season, but developed a reputation for scrapping at the major-junior level and in the minor leagues.
![[Columbus' Adam Fantilli scored his first NHL hat trick in a 5-1 beat down of his hometown Leafs]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/23/18/94447367-14318459-image-a-61_1737656884934.jpg)
Reaves, on the other hand, has been known as one of the top fighters in the league for the past decade. The pair exchanged a series of blows - with Olivier appearing to connect with Reaves much more than the other way around. At the end, officials broke the fracas up and it appeared that Reaves even gave Olivier a tap on the chest to indicate a job well done.
HOCKEY FIGHT OF THE YEAR?! 🤯🥊Heavyweight throw down between Ryan Reaves and Mathieu Olivier 😮pic.twitter.com/B19Gh4FiJY. Mathieu Olivier of the Columbus Blue Jackets (L) fights Ryan Reaves of the Toronto Maple Leafs (R) during the first period of a game held in Toronto on Wednesday evening.
The fight happened early on in the game - barely even two full minutes into the first period. Columbus' Adam Fantilli scored his first NHL hat trick in a 5-1 beat down of his hometown Leafs. Sadly, the broadcast audio of the audience didn't seem like they were nearly as excited about the fight as those throwing the punches themselves, which has become common among the Scotiabank crowd these days.
