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Top 5 Avalanche Hockey Fights of 2014-15

By Nadia Archuleta |
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Feb 5, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) and Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericsson (52) fight early in the first period at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Hockey fights are a controversial topic in the NHL. Conventional wisdom has always been that hockey fights minimize some of the dirty play. Many journalists have attempted to debunk this idea, even using statistics showing that decreased fighting in the NHL has also led to a decrease in other penalties. (These statistics don’t take other factors into consideration.)

In general, players support hockey fights. Quite often they see it as a measure of respect. Sometimes grittier players come to the defense of skill players who are getting hassled by opponents. Other times, they use such fights to get their own team motivated.

Coaches and fans generally support hockey fights — as long as it’s their player initiating.

Truthfully, I’m not going to argue for or against hockey fights. The reality is that they happen — quite a few of them happened at Colorado Avalanche games last season. So, let’s look at some of the best fights from the 2014-15 Avalanche season.

#5: Nathan MacKinnon’s First Fight

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Center Nathan MacKinnon is one of those skill players who typically has a teammate coming to his defense (or head coach Patrick Roy, as we saw in that seminal opening night game against the Anaheim Ducks). However, MacKinnon spent some time at the beginning of the 2014-15 season learning how to fight on his own.

First, he took “lessons” from energy player Cody McLeod. Later, he practiced his fisticuffs with power forward and veteran Jarome Iginla.

Well, Nathan MacKinnon wasted no time in finding a rival on which to practice his fighting skills. Unfortunately, he selected a well-seasoned — and huge — rival, Jonathan Ericsson of the Detroit Red Wings. Ericsson, a massive 6-foot-5 and 220-pound defenseman, is a veteran of 12 fights in the NHL.

Let’s be realistic — MacKinnon gets his butt whooped. Huge props to the kid, though, for standing up for himself no matter his opponent. (He also managed to get a few licks in.)

#4: Nate Guenin’s First Fight

Even though Nate Guenin is a shut-down defenseman and a gritty player, he’s not known for his fights. In fact, in a February game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Guenin engaged in his first NHL hockey fight.

According to color analyst Peter McNab, Guenin is known for his forearm shiver. He laid this move on Tampa right wing Nikita Kucherov. Lightning tough guy Brenden Morrow took offense to the play. He jumped on the ice and asked Guenin to dance.

Guenin described the situation to Denver Post writer Mike Chambers at the time:

“[Morrow] came off for him, a line change, and asked me to go right away. I was so (freaking) tired. I get it. I was just so tired, just gassed. It’s not like he jumped me. He asked me, and I was just like, ‘Dude, (jeez) whatever you want to do’.”

Guenin fought a bit better in his first fight than MacKinnon, but it’s slill glaringly obvious he was tired:

#3: Jarome Iginla Christmas Fight

Unlike the previous two hockey fights on this list, #3 doesn’t herald a first. The Christmas fight with St. Louis Blues skater Barret Jackman was certainly not Jarome Iginla’s first NHL fight — it wasn’t even his first of the season with the Colorado Avalanche. Heck, it wasn’t even his first fight with Barret Jackman, since the two dropped the gloves once when Iginla was still with the Calgary Flames.

The Christmas fight was a pretty storied battle just the same. Both players are pretty seasoned fighters. The two players go a couple rounds with a lot of wrestling but also quite a few landed punches.

Both teams liked to think the Christmas fight went to their player. We’re pretty sure Jarome Iginla won.

However, after the Christmas fight, Jackman channeled the spirit of the season and went on to make a friend:

#2: Cody McLeod Does Dallas

Colorado Avalanche winger Cody McLeod had Valentines for the Dallas Stars, and they all came courtesy of his fists.

It all started in the first period. McLeod and Dallas skater Curtis McKenzie started battling along the boards. The battle became heated, and the two players ended up squaring off:

McLeod’s a very seasoned fighter (around 100 NHL hockey fights!), and he made quick work of McKenzie.

This hotly-contested game got ugly a little later in the third period. Cody McLeod finishes his check a little too enthusiastically against Dallas forward Jason Demers. Demers initially shook it off while a scrum ensued with McLeod at the center. The referees broke it up (with Tyson Barrie “discussing the weather” with a big, strong Jordie Benn).

Back at the benches, with McLeod casually leaning on the boards for a chat with Nathan MacKinnon, Demers gets himself riled up over that enthusiastic check. He skates over to McLeod and leans over the referee to sucker punch Cody.

Oh, that’s a bad idea. McLeod whips around ready to kick butt and take names. When players on the Stars bench reach for McLeod, Cody does Dallas:

His fist of fury just starts pumping, and no one in Dallas green is safe.

#1: Gabriel Landeskog Captain Fight

It may seem like nothing can beat Cody McLeod taking on the entire Dallas Stars bench. For sheer audacity, nothing can.

However, late in December, with the Colorado Avalanche struggling so hard and Avs fans feeling so despairing of the season, the captain did what leaders do — he stepped up.

December was especially frustrating for Gabriel Landeskog. He went through a painful goal-scoring drought, not getting a single tally the entire month when his team really needed the goals. However, he kept himself in each game in whatever way he could, with big hits, set-up plays and encouragement.

He also participated in an epic battle with a seasoned fighter, fellow hockey captain Andrew Ladd of the Winnipeg Jets:

This wasn’t just a hockey fight — this was a captain fight. This captain fight felt like the turning point for the Colorado Avalanche season. Yes, Gabriel Landeskog still went goal-less for two more weeks. No, the team did not manage to make the playoffs. However, that epic captain fight got all of Avs Nation — players, coaches and fans — on the same page once more.

Indeed, after the game — which the Avalanche won in the shootout, star center Matt Duchene said of the fight:

“[Landeskog] wanted [Ladd] last game and it didn’t happen. This game he went, and you could tell that he wanted him bad to get some momentum for us. He did a heck of a job stepping up there.”

Goalie Calvin Pickard was similarly impressed:

“It was awesome. He really got us going there. It takes a lot of courage to stand up and fight, and we appreciated that a lot in the room. It got us going.”

The best praise came from Avalanche head coach Patrick Roy:

What do you think, Avs Nation? What was the best Avalanche hockey fight last season?

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