One of the Most Brutal Collisions Left NHL Star Motionless on the Ice in 2016

The consistency with which brawls occur in NHL is astounding. There has been no shortage of violent fights erupting in the middle of a game. And fans saw one such instance in 2016, during the Vancouver Canucks vs New Jersey Devils game. The two teams based on either side of the border have had a history of intense rivalry, often dubbed ‘The cross-river rivals’. During their 2016 match, such was the intensity of the rivalry, that it sent a star NHL player right into the ice, as he lay there unmoved.

A YouTube video by ‘Movement Radio’ that compiled the ‘Hardest Hockey Hits Part 2’ (presumably after part 1) shows a hard-hitting tackle by a left winger of the New Jersey Devils. Such was the intensity of tackle, the defenseman of the Vancouver Canucks passed out right away. Here’s what happened in the match.

How deadly can a fight get in the NHL?

It was the second half of the game and the match was evenly poised. The scoreline was 1-1, and the puck was passed to Philip Larsen of Canucks (now of Esbjerg Energy of Denmark), who received it from behind the net. Even before he could maneuver it forward, out of nowhere came Taylor Hall of Devils. The Canadian left-winger hit Larsen so hard and so fast that everything went dark for him in a split second.

He hit him in the chest with his shoulder, and the game had to be temporarily stopped. A group gathered around a motionless Larsen on the ice, and it didn’t take long for a brawl to ensue. After the dust settled, Larsen was carried outside by a stretcher and the game resumed. Half of the game was over, and the next half ensured another thrilling battle between the two teams. Eventually, it was the Devils who beat the Canucks 3-2 in that game.

The fight stayed in the minds of fans as one of the greatest hits in NHL history. However, it wouldn’t be the last time these two teams would be at each other’s throats. Just last year, on 1st November, a hands-on fight between Luke Schenn (Canucks) and Miles Wood (Devils) ensued. This wasn’t any normal tackle, instead a fistfight between the two. The violence on the ice was palpable.

READ MORE – One of the Most Brutal NHL Brawls Had Players Marching Into the Stands With Skates Back in 1979

As Woods lay on the ice, Schenn kept throwing punches at him. The Devils were leading 2-0 then and went on to win the match 5-2. Bloody brawls have always been part of the NHL. Some even go back to 1973, when Barry Cummins of the California Golden Seals was brutally beaten up by 6 players of the Philadelphia Flyers. It was ghastly.

Do you remember any rink brawls other than these? Let us know in the comments.

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