Wild Senators-Panthers Scrum and Other Early-Season NHL Fights You May Have Missed

Some love it. Some loathe it.

But it's hard to argue that fighting is a thing that makes hockey, well...hockey.

Which means last week's game between the Senators and Florida Panthers in Ottawa will be remembered for a while, particularly by those for whom dropped gloves are a stimulant.

Though it featured only one of the 97 interactions labeled as "fights" this season (through Saturday's games) by hockeyfights.com, the scrum that began when Brady Tkachuk got a little too frisky looking for a rebound after misfiring on a breakaway was unique in that it netted 10-minute misconducts for all 10 skaters on the ice at the time of the incident.

They served as game misconducts given that there were fewer than eight minutes left on the clock, and they contributed to the game's 167 penalty minutes—tops in the league thus far.

And they prompted the B/R hockey staff to liaise with colleagues on the combat side to compile a list of the most memorable bouts of the season's initial two months.

Click through to see if we included your favorites, and drop a thought in the comments.

October 15: Klim Kostin vs. Erik Gudbranson

Jason Mowry/Getty Images

COLUMBUS, OHIO - OCTOBER 16: Erik Gudbranson #44 of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Klim Kostin #24 of the Detroit Red Wings fight during the third period at Nationwide Arena on October 16, 2023 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images)

Don't let the 17 goals in 122 games fool you.

Detroit center Klim Kostin, more than sublime stickhandling or dogged defense, is in the NHL for the physical presence he brings.

The 6'4", 232-pounder was a fan favorite in Edmonton for the edge he provided to the skill-heavy Oilers lineup last season, and he's worked a similar number on the Red Wings fanbase while logging just under nine minutes per game since arriving as a free agent.

A good, clean hit on Columbus youngster Cole Sillinger caught the eye of Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson, who measures a menacing 6'5" and 222 pounds himself, and the two engaged moments later for a punch-filled 40-second scrap.

The big hitters locked up their left arms and went exclusively with hard right crosses for the duration, with each man landing his share before officials intervened.

B/R Scorecard: Kostin by Decision

October 21: Trent Frederic vs. Andreas Englund

Gary A. Vasquez/NHLI via Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 21: Trent Frederic #11 of the Boston Bruins and Jordan Spence#21 of the Los Angeles Kings battle for position during the second period at Crypto.com Arena on October 21, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gary A. Vasquez/NHLI via Getty Images)

It's official.

Modern technologies like new camera angles, replays and next-gen stats have boosted the fan experience in every televised (or streamed) sport.

And hockey is no different.

Things ratcheted up a notch on October 22 in Los Angeles, when Boston's mic'd up Trent Frederic announced his intentions after a second-period goal by teammate Morgan Geekie.

Kings defenseman Andreas Englund was apparently frustrated by the visitors taking the lead and was looking for a fight when Frederic looked over at the 6'4", 200-pounder and declared "I'll go with you. I'll go with you. You want it? You go with me."

That's exactly what happened seconds later, as the puck was swept down the ice into the Los Angeles zone, when both players dropped their gloves and got right to delivering punches with what seemed like genuinely bad intentions.

But it didn't last long thanks to the frenetic Frederic, who grabbed hold of Englund and landed three overhand rights and an uppercut before his foe's sweater was pulled over his head, prompting the officials' intervention after barely 10 seconds.

B/R Scorecard: Frederic by TKO

November 19: Nicolas Deslauriers vs. Mathieu Olivier

Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 19: Nicolas Deslauriers #44 of the Philadelphia Flyers fights Mathieu Olivier #24 of the Columbus Blue Jackets during the first period at the Wells Fargo Center on November 19, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)

There is, or at least can be, honor among rivals.

Especially those with something in common.

Nicolas Deslauriers and Mathieu Olivier had 58 goals and more than 800 penalty minutes through a combined 700 NHL games prior to 2023-24, after following a similar path to the pros that involved multiple seasons in Quebec's major junior league.

So when the Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets got together on November 19, it shouldn't have been surprising that their two wingers—near mirror images at 6'1", 218 pounds and 6'1", 222 pounds, respectively—found the time to get reacquainted.

They were skating behind the play late in the first period and mutually agreed to drop the gloves for a center ice fracas whose end came after 40 seconds when they stopped punching and parted ways with a gentlemanly tap to one another's helmet.

B/R Scorecard: Deslauriers by decision

November 20: Vincent Desharnais vs. Jonah Gadjovich

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

SUNRISE, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 20: Vincent Desharnais #73 of the Edmonton Oilers and Jonah Gadjovich #12 of the Florida Panthers fight during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena on November 20, 2023 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Jonah Gadjovich knew exactly what he was getting into.

Though the 25-year-old winger is hardly a shrimp at 6'2" and 209 pounds, he was a competitive David to Edmonton defenseman Vincent Desharnais' Goliath when he made a power move toward the Oilers' net and into the space of the 6'7", 226-pound giant.

But if he was concerned about the differential, it didn't show.

Gadjovich showed no inclination to retreat when Desharnais stood his ground, and the rivals immediately shed their gloves and engaged in a bout that featured nonstop action as the bigger man landed heavy blows and the smaller man got inside and did volume damage.

Desharnais was bleeding from the nose and Gadjovich had his jersey pulled halfway off his body by the time it ended, and the Panthers used the entertaining scrap as a spark, scoring three of the game's four post-fight goals on the way to a 5-3 win.

B/R Scorecard: Draw

November 24: Andreas Englund vs. Sam Carrick

AP Photo/Kyusung Gong

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Andreas Englund (5) and Anaheim Ducks center Sam Carrick (39) fight during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Sam Carrick knows his role on an NHL rink.

He reached the league five years after the Toronto Maple Leafs selected him 144th overall in the 2010 draft, and he's been a fringe player ever since, suiting up for 187 games across parts of eight seasons while spending much of his time in the AHL.

So he's in Anaheim this season to play fourth-line minutes and provide the sort of grit and energy that led to his entry on our list from the last full week of November.

The Ducks were down 4-0 against the Los Angeles Kings when Carrick, a 200-pound center, skated across the neutral zone and delivered a punishing hit along the boards that took Trevor Lewis off his feet and was followed by a subtle nudge to the face and chest.

The extra tweak drew the ire of aforementioned Kings defenseman Englund, who skated over and had his gloves dropped by the time Carrick had disengaged from Lewis. The fight itself was hardly a contest, as Englund struck early and often with right hands until the officials pulled him away.

B/R Scorecard: Englund by TKO