Watch what fans are calling the 'hockey fight of the year' between Toronto and Columbus

The creation of warring is being progressively weaned retired of the NHL these days. But each erstwhile successful a while, a bout comes on that reminds you of its value successful the athletics of hockey.

On Wednesday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the Columbus Blue Jackets astatine Scotiabank Arena.

Early connected successful the game, hardly 2 afloat minutes into the archetypal period, 2 heavyweights successful the athletics collided arsenic Columbus' Mathieu Olivier squared disconnected against Toronto's Ryan Reaves.

Olivier has lone been playing successful the NHL since the 2019-20 season, but developed a estimation for scrapping astatine the major-junior level and successful the insignificant leagues. 

Reaves, connected the different hand, has been known arsenic 1 of the apical fighters successful the league for the past decade.

The brace exchanged a bid of blows - with Olivier appearing to link with Reaves overmuch much than the different mode around. At the end, officials broke the fracas up and it appeared that Reaves adjacent gave Olivier a pat connected the thorax to bespeak a occupation good done.

Sadly, the broadcast audio of the assemblage didn't look similar they were astir arsenic excited astir the combat arsenic those throwing the punches themselves, which has go communal among the Scotiabank assemblage these days.

Per the tract HockeyFights.com - which tracks warring successful the NHL, AHL, and Canadian major-junior levels passim the years - this was Reaves' archetypal combat of the play and Olivier's tenth.

Those who voted connected the site rated the bout a 7.79 retired of 10 - with a 47 percent bulk of the 191 voters siding with Olivier arsenic the victor of the combat astatine the clip of publishing.

Columbus got the spark they needed from the combat - upsetting the Maple Leafs and winning 5-1. 

Adam Fantilli, the Blue Jackets' apical prime successful the 2023 NHL Draft (3rd overall) scored his archetypal NHL hat-trick. The autochthonal of Nobleton, Ontario (just northbound of Toronto) was capable to bash truthful successful his ain backyard successful beforehand of his parents.

Columbus besides saw goals by chap Greater Toronto Area autochthonal Luca Del Bel Belluz and erstwhile Maple Leafs prima James van Riemsdyk. Toronto's lone extremity came from skipper Auston Matthews.

In conscionable 168 games successful the show, Olivier has racked up 13 goals, 34 points and a whopping 239 punishment minutes. Reaves is overmuch much seasoned - having played successful 877 games. He's accumulated 63 goals and 135 points on with an astounding 1,072 punishment minutes.

Toronto presently leads the Atlantic Division with 62 points done 49 games. Columbus is 4th successful the Metropolitan Division with 53 points done 48 games and presently beryllium successful the apical Wild Card spot with 34 games remaining successful their season.