With the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs scheduled to begin in late April, hockey action is set to become more heated as teams compete for spots in the playoffs. Resurfaced video shows a brawl that broke out as the playoffs approached in April.
Tensions rose during the Devils vs. Flyers game on April 13, when fans began fighting each other during the game. A shocking fan-filmed video shared by Barstool Philly on social media platform X shows one Devils fan being verbally abused before being removed by security.
Another angle of the brawl, shared by X-user Mike Lauer, shows the fan tumbling down several seats before getting back up again.
The cause of the fight was not immediately released, but fights are not uncommon during hockey games, both on and off the ice: According to the Associated Press, fights tend to occur every four or five games, making the clashes almost a given in the sport.
“It doesn't happen often, but it's still necessary,” Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet told The Associated Press. “When I played, it really worked as an intimidator. It still works a little bit, but not as much as it used to. Organized fights and stuff like that don't work anymore. But there's a time and a place to use it.”
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But as the long-term effects of repeated head trauma become more widely recognized, this acceptance of violence at hockey games may soon change. Many junior leagues have instituted “no fight” policies for players, and arenas are following suit with similar restrictions for fans.
After a fight broke out between fans during a Canadian Championship match between Toronto FC and CF Montreal in 2023, the Montreal club closed off the visitor's seating at Saputo Stadium to prevent further fighting.
It remains to be seen whether the NHL will write a ban on player fights into its rulebook or whether other stadiums will begin to take similar steps to curb fan fights.
The Devils vs. Flyers game ended with the Flyers winning 1-0, giving the team a share of the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, tied with the Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals, which the Flyers promptly lost after losing to the Washington Capitals on April 16.
