2012 NHL Playoffs: The 12 Nastiest Fights in Stanley Cup Playoff History

The NHL has more than its share of fighting, but in the playoffs it becomes a rare occasion. 

This could be due to the fact that the real scrappers and goons don't get ice time during the playoffs, or simply that spending five minutes in the box and the possibility of an instigator or an injury is simply too costly to the team. 

Regardless of the reasons, playoff fights don't happen everyday; but when they do, they're some of the most entertaining fights in the game. During the playoffs we rarely see players drop the mitts simply to get the players and fans into the game; they do it when they're truly angry or frustrated, or taking exception on a previous hit. 

The following is a list of some of the best and nastiest fights in playoff history. 

Due to the lack of video evidence as we go further back, many of these fights are in the new millennium, but if there are any that you feel have been missed please feel free to post a link. 

12. Todd Bertuzzi vs Shea Weber

Date: April 13, 2012

While there surely are nastier playoff fights in history than this one, it had to be added for many reasons. 

First is that the head slam by Shea Weber on Wings' forward Henrik Zetterberg was incredibly nasty, and without a doubt was what sparked this bout.  

In addition, this fight really shows what the playoffs are all about. The goons aren't always in the lineup to take exceptions, so the key players have to step up and go at it.  

Lastly, and most importantly, is that this play symbolizes how many fans believe the game should be played. Brendan Shanahan was not shy when it came to dishing out suspensions this past season, but it didn't seem to make a difference. The dirty hits kept coming, and players did not change the way they played. 

In this case, Shanahan failed to discipline Weber for the dirty hit, and Bertuzzi took the responsibility upon himself. Perhaps that's the way the game is meant to be played. 

11. Ryane Clowe vs Jordin Tootoo

Date: April 13, 2007

In this playoff game between San Jose and Nashville, the young scrapper Jordin Tootoo comes to the aid of teammate Scott Hartnell. 

After getting pummeled by Clowe, Tootoo was probably wishing he hadn't stepped in for Hartnell, who's 11 pounds heavier and five inches taller. 

10. Roman Polak vs Justin Braun

Date: April 14, 2012

At the end of Game 2 in the first round between St. Louis and San Jose, tempers boiled over. 

While Vladimir Sobotka and Dominic Moore tussled in the open ice and the rest scrummed in the corner, Justin Braun circled the Blues, trying to get at B.J. Crombeen or any other willing participant.  

Eventually, Roman Polak gets sick of Braun and teaches him a thing or two.  

9. Andrew Ference vs Cory Stillman

Date: May 27, 2004

As fights broke out in the 2004 Stanley Cup finals, we ended up seeing a matchup of Cory Stillman and Andrew Ference. 

This was the 14th professional fight (including WHL) for Ference, and just the third for Stillman; it doesn't take a genius to figure out how this one would end. 

While Stillman held his own for a few seconds, eventually the inexperience kicked in as Ference landed numerous decisive blows.  

8. Sheldon Souray vs Cory Sarich

Date: April 23, 2004

Many people forget that Sheldon Souray was once on the Montreal Canadiens, let alone that he's capable of handing it to someone like this.  

In this second round playoff bout, Souray controls the pace of the fight before landing one to Sarich's nose and ending it.

While Souray took the fight, Sarich got the last laugh as Tampa Bay swept the series and went on to win the Stanley Cup.

What's truly remarkable is that according to the voting on Hockeyfights.com, some delusional individuals actually think Sarich won the fight. 

7. Scottie Upshall vs Tyler Kennedy

Date: May 11, 2008

While a lot of this year's first-round hatred between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh was sparked from the Joe Vitale hit on Danny Briere, and the scrum that ensued, this is a heated rivalry that goes way back.  

In 2008, we saw another battle between the two teams in the Eastern Conference Finals, as Tyler Kennedy and Scottie Upshall squared off. 

While both players landed their share of haymakers, this one would have to go to Tyler Kennedy. Props to Upshall for hanging in, though.  

6. Eric Nesterenko vs John Ferguson

Date: April 27, 1965

In this old-time original six match-up, Eric Nesterenko of the Chicago Blackhawks dropped the mitts with John Ferguson of the Montreal Canadiens. 

Ferguson landed a devastating blow, and continued to land punches despite Nesterenko being down and out. 

The result was a nasty cut to the face of Nesterenko, who had to leave the ice. 

This was one of the rare occurrences where a fight is so one-sided that the losing player isn't even deserving of a fighting penalty.  

The Montreal Canadians won the battle and the war in this case, as they went on to win the Stanley Cup.  

5. Marty McSorley vs Wendel Clark

Date: May 17, 1993

Marty McSorley made a long and nasty reputation of being one of the dirtiest players in the history of the game, and with that, he had to stand up for himself quite a bit too.  

After a crushing blind-side hit to Doug Gilmour, McSorley and Clark went at it. The two landed more punches than you can count, and when Gilmour finally made it to his feet, he proceeded to challenge the entire Los Angeles bench.  

When everything died down, the ice was left scattered with sticks and gloves, and stained with blood, and this went down as one of the best playoff fights in history.  

The Kings ended up winning the series in seven games, but lost in the finals to the Montreal Canadiens. 

4. Quebec Nordiques vs Montreal Canadiens

Date: April 20, 1984

Originally, I had this slide titled as Clint Malarchuk vs Richard Sevigny, who do actually fight if you look hard enough. But the truth is that this bench-clearing brawl was such a mess it's hard to pick just one fight.  

This brawl has got to go down as one of the longest and biggest in history, as just about everyone on each team got involved, including goaltenders Clint Malarchuk and Richard Sevigny.  

3. Dave Semenko vs Tim Hunter

Date: April 17, 1983

Dave Semenko was one of the most prominent fighters in the game, as he displayed here, dropping the gloves with Tim Hunter and just about anyone else that crossed his path.  

Hunter held his own against Semenko, but upon the fight being broken up, Semenko threw one last shot over the referees, sparking the ensuing line-brawl.  

The Edmonton Oilers went on to win this second-round series, but eventually lost to the New York Islanders in the finals.  

2. Claude LaForge vs Noel Picard

Date: April 13, 1968

In the first round of the 1968 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Noel Picard sucker-punched Claude LaForge from behind while standing on the outskirts of a scrum.  

It goes down as one of the most brutal and dirty plays in the history of the game.  

As Ed Snyder describes in this clip, this hit effectively ended LaForge's career, as he only played a few games thereafter.  

1. Pierre Bouchard vs Stan Jonathan

Date: May 21, 1978

This fight is widely regarded as one of, if not the best fight of all time. 

In the Stanley Cup Finals in 1978, a fight ensued between Pierre Bouchard of the Montreal Canadiens and a considerably smaller Stan Jonathan of the Boston Bruins. 

Despite the size discrepancy, Jonathan destroyed Bouchard, leaving him lying on the ice in a bloody mess. 

For those wondering, Pierre Bouchard was 6'2" and 205 lbs, while Stan Jonathan was just 5'8", 175 lbs and likely the best pound-for-pound fighter of all-time.  

How he handles Pierre Bouchard is quite similar to the late Rick Rypien of the Vancouver Canucks, may he rest in peace. 

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