Anaheim Ducks 25th Anniversary: Top 10 Fights of the Last Decade
9 – Chris Pronger vs Dan Cleary (January 23rd, 2008)
Oh, the days when Chris Pronger patrolled the Anaheim blueline. The Ducks were defending Stanley Cup Champs and I was just old enough to start driving a car. This bout occurred halfway through the Ducks Stanley Cup defense season and came against two big boys.
Its a fairly quick fight and that may be a good thing for Dan Clearly. That and the fact that Pronger lost his balance while swinging big right-handed haymakers. If he had stayed balanced this would be much higher on the list.
Also, you have to like that Pronger makes a hard hit on Clearly and stands up for it instead of someone else coming along to pick the fight. You don’t see this enough in today’s NHL and then again you don’t see many defensemen like Chris Pronger in today’s NHL.
8 – Josh Manson vs Mike Giordano (April 4th, 2017)
Now in 2018, it’s known who Josh Manson is. Hard hitting, good moving, good first pass defenseman. A young player who is turning into a top flight shut down blueliner. Also a player with an offensive upside that seems to increase by the game and year.
Even as Manson turns into a versatile piece of the Duck blueline, he’s also the physical leader of it. Manson made sure that was on display as he took exception to a hold by Flames defenseman and captain Mike Giordano.
Once the gloves dropped he showed he was more than capable standing up to veteran and making sure Giordano knew he wasn’t backing down from a fight. Manson is the kind of guy you want on your D core and hopefully, number 42 is wearing the “Webbed D” for many years to come.
7 – Ryan Kesler vs Mike Fisher (March 15th, 2015)
John Alhers hit this fight right on. Ryan Kesler versus Mike Fisher doesn’t need to be precipitated by anything. That fight and any fight that would occur between these two is nothing but hate. Fisher hates how Kesler plays and Kesler hates how Fisher does.
This was two top-end centers throwing down and there was no strategy to this one. Middle of the second in an even game Kesler trying to get the Ducks going and that’s what you want in one of your team leaders. No measuring each other no squaring up just down and dirty throwing punches.
This was Keslers first year as a Duck and this fight showed one side of what Kesler can bring you. Get under the oppositions skin and no matter if its game two or game 82 Kesler is giving you everything he has. Now, let’s hope we can see more of this in 2018-19 and RK17 has a clean bill of health.
6 – Scott Niedermayer vs Pavel Datsyuk (May 12th, 2009)
This one could have been labeled the entire Ducks line but the fact that two of them were Scott Niedermayer and Pavel Datsyuk made this much better. Vintage Anaheim Ducks versus Red Wings boiled over as the Ducks won Game 6 to force a Game 7.
Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Chris Pronger, Scott Niedermayer all grabbing a Red Wing and haymakers just being thrown everywhere. The Ducks were the upstart team no one wanted to face after they got in as the last seed and took out top-seeded San Jose in round 1.
Anaheim was now a game away from the Western Conference Finals, and this set the stage for the series finale’. The Ducks would lose Game 7 but the raw emotion that comes out in the NHL playoffs is second to none.
5 – Ryan Kesler vs Johnathan Toews (March 4th, 2018)
If this fight happened two years prior, or if it happened in a season where the Ducks were limping and the Blackhawks were dead it’d be much higher on the list. But it wasn’t the case four short months ago. Ryan Kesler finds his second entry on this list as he takes on his second top-flight center in Johnathan Toews.
Kesler had just returned from a hip injury that kept him out more than half the year. For his part, Toews was in an interesting spot with his team drastically underperforming and not headed to the post-season. Most likely, a fight that has been boiling for years but it could have been so much better of the stakes were higher.
Much tamer than Kesler’s scrap with Fisher as both combatants squared off and threw big right after big right both landed some solid shots. In the end, I think Kesler got the best of the bout but I think we’d all love to see round 2 with increased team stakes.
4 – Matt Beleskey vs Aaron Volpatti (January 25th, 2013)
The fight came early in Matt Beleskey‘s career with the Ducks. Before he found chemistry with Ryan Kesler and became a scoring machine on the second line. But this fight is unbelievable and speaks volumes to the many sides of Beleskey.
Clearly, something was said as it started just two minutes into the game against Vancouver but Beleskey made sure that everyone in attendance got their money’s worth, by seeing this fight. He came out swinging with one goal in mind, to get the crowd and the team into the game and jacked up.
This is the reason fights exist in hockey. They aren’t meant to just be a way to let frustrations out, but to be used as a tool to change momentum in a game. When used correctly, a good fight can bring the stadium to their feet. Everyone gets recharged and ready to go.
Beleskey hasn’t been the same since he left Katella Ave. He still supplied Duck fans with one of the best fights of the last decade and one of the best goals on top of it.
3 – Francois Beauchemin vs Jarome Iginla (May 1st, 2006)
The 2006 playoffs were a whirlwind. Seeing the Ducks get to the West Finals as a seventh seed was incredible. The first and second round series against Calgary and then Colorado saw some great moments. While it was clear the Ducks were a piece away it was great strides in the right direction.
One of those signs was Francois Beauchemin. Beauch was a young player in 2006 and while Scott Niedermayer was the stud on the back end Ducks fans were learning why they’d come to love the big defenseman. Hard hitting, booming shot and stepping up to fight the captain of the Calgary Flames in a playoff game. Behind a home crowd Beauch challenged Iginla and not only one punched him to the ice he kept swinging after Iginla tried to get back in the fight.
This was a huge moment because the game had just begun, the crowd was loud and this set them into a frenzy. As I pointed out throughout the article that is the key to fighting. Set the tone, show you aren’t going to back down and get the crowd riled up. You get the adrenaline flowing through everyone and hopefully, a goal is soon to follow to really drive the point home.
Beauchemin has done this his whole career and while the game has now passed him by I believe most Duck fans will remember him a positive light.
2 – George Parros vs Ryan Cote (February 2nd, 2008)
They don’t make them like George Parros anymore. Before he became the head of the NHL Department of Player Safety, Parros was throwing hay-makers in SoCal. Parros is one of the last of a dying breed of “instigators” in the NHL.
Bringing not much more to the table than what you see here Parros on your side had one job. Change momentum of a game or stick up for a teammate and answer the bell when rung.
Parros had a few good bouts in his time in a Ducks jersey and with other teams around the league. This was one of the bests as he was the clear winner putting poor Ryan Cote down for the count in his signature fighting style.
Many times the only thing missing from a “Stache” fight was play-by-play from legendary WWE commentator Jim Ross. “Bah gawd Parros is in another slobberknocker.” Or maybe “Parros beat like a government mule.”