It appeared for some time that the sport between the Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators on March 5, 2004, may come and go with out incident.
That was a bit shocking as a result of eight days earlier, Ottawa’s Martin Havlat whacked the Flyers’ Mark Recchi within the face along with his stick and afterward, heated phrases and insinuations flew. The Flyers had been irate concerning the play and Havlat was suspended two video games.
“Sometime somebody’s going to make (Havlat) eat his lunch,” Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock mentioned.
“It may not come from our workforce,” Recchi mentioned, “however he higher shield himself.”
Within the rematch, although, the primary 58 minutes handed quietly because the Flyers constructed a multi-goal lead on the best way to a 5-3 victory. However these final minutes had been something however quiet. And when it was over, officers tallied up a file quantity for penalty minutes in an NHL recreation (419) that also stands.
One other lasting consequence from that evening: New league guidelines had been carried out for the beginning of the 2005-06 season, the primary after a lockout killed the 2004-05 season. Gamers who instigated a battle with fewer than 5 minutes to go got a one-game suspension and the coaches of these gamers could be fined $10,000.
Twenty years later, fights within the waning minutes of video games are nearly non-existent. Right here’s the way it all went down.
Senators ahead Martin Havlat, talking concerning the earlier recreation that began all of it: I had a forearm into Mark Recchi. I don’t assume I hit his face, however I hit him for certain. I sort of misplaced it slightly bit, so I bought suspended for 2 video games. My first recreation again after the suspension was after all in Philly. (Hitchcock) mentioned somebody would make me eat my lunch, proper? I do not forget that quote.
Flyers ahead John LeClair: That’s what began it, clearly. No one forgets that sort of stuff.
Flyers ahead Mark Recchi: I keep in mind Havlat bought suspended, they usually suspended him (two) video games and we performed them the (third). (League disciplinarian) Colin Campbell did a great job there.
Flyers goalie Robert Esche: There was unhealthy blood getting into.
Senators ahead Daniel Alfredsson: We talked about it, however we didn’t assume something was going to escalate to that extent. Would one thing occur? In all probability.
Havlat: I keep in mind being in Philly the day earlier than and I used to be sick. I wasn’t feeling nicely. I used to be like, “If I name in sick and don’t present up, everybody goes to assume that I’m a loser and I’m scared.” I wasn’t feeling nicely, however I knew I needed to play.
The primary battle takes place at 18:15 of the third interval, when respective powerful guys Donald Brashear of the Flyers and Rob Ray of the Senators drop the gloves. Different fights broke out in the course of the stoppage, together with goalies Robert Esche (Flyers) and Patrick Lalime (Senators).
Esche: Brash had it made up in his head how that evening was going to go. He went up and down the ice after which he began combating (Rob Ray). It was a great battle. Brash was doing an amazing job. Everyone is sort of watching the battle … after which all hell broke free.
Flyers ahead Donald Brashear: Like every other recreation the place guys’ feelings run up, you wish to make one thing occur otherwise you wish to get respect again. One thing needed to be accomplished. I fought Ray a number of occasions. He was a great fighter. He was doing his job and I used to be doing mine, and we each tried to do the very best we will. Typically it will get ugly, however that’s the secret.
Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock: Everyone knew how powerful Brash was however I at all times thought that Brash was a method higher participant than folks thought. Means higher. … I assumed he was actually a reliable participant that might handle the puck and handle the sport correctly. I had plenty of belief in Donald.
Senators ahead Rob Ray: If I keep in mind accurately it was simply us battling in entrance of the web. After which it simply escalated right into a battle. It was simply two guys trying to get their groups fired up. Then everyone jumped in. It appeared like that sparked all the pieces. It was simply an emotional curler coaster from that time on.
Senators ahead Shaun Van Allen: I couldn’t imagine Brian Pothier jumped in and went after Donald Brashear after he fought Ray. I don’t know what set him off. It bought uncontrolled quick.
Flyers ahead Patrick Sharp: I used to be on the ice simply sort of chillin’, and located myself in a 6-on-6 brawl. I used to be within the first wave of the brawls. I really bought pounded fairly good. Todd Simpson grabbed me. There’s a battle between Brash and Rob Ray, and one other one escalated. That’s when Eschey and Patty Lalime went at it.
Esche: I keep in mind Danny Markov laying on the ice and there was a scrum happening, I went over to go decide someone up, and I flip round and Patrick Lalime is correct there — no helmet, no nothing. I used to be like, “What are you doing right here?”
Senators goalie Patrick Lalime: Esche was in the midst of all of it. That’s after I mentioned, ‘I’m taking place there.’ And I didn’t care. I knew he was a troublesome man. However I removed all my stuff as a result of I didn’t wish to be weighed down by my glove, blocker and masks. And I knew I needed to get his masks off.
Senators ahead Chris Neil: Patty Lalime was superior. For him to return down and do what he did, he’s only a nice workforce man. For him, he had a giant smile on his face.
Lalime: After we had been accomplished combating one another, we had been simply alongside the boards. I used to be simply exhausted. I mentioned to Esche, “I’m useless.” He mentioned, “Me too.” So we made an settlement. No low-cost pictures. Nothing soiled. And I feel that was an indication of respect. And each time I handed him after that, we at all times mentioned hello to one another.
After play resumed got here one other sequence of fights. In a 6-second span on the sport clock, six gamers had been issued combating majors: Chris Neil, Zdeno Chara and Mike Fisher from Ottawa, and Radovan Somik, Mattias Timander and Michal Handzus from the Flyers.
Esche: As soon as it bought to a tipping level, which it clearly did the following shift, it was simply going to proceed to unravel.
Hitchcock: It was an emotional time, they had been emotional video games. Two actually good groups. However I used to be actually indignant (as a result of) the gamers that had been being attacked, they weren’t scrappers or fighters or something.
Flyers GM Bob Clarke: I used to be watching from the press field clearly because the supervisor. For me, Jacques Martin premeditated that. He had all powerful gamers on the ice and the Flyers had 4 Europeans. Because it turned out, our Europeans bought beat up.
Senators coach Jacques Martin: I’ve by no means despatched a man out to battle in my whole profession. I don’t imagine in sending a man over. When there are fights in hockey, I feel that’s superb. However I don’t assume I’ve ever been a proponent of going after folks.
Van Allen: That may have been out of Jacques’ character to do this. I performed for him for about six years. And he by no means requested anyone to battle – ever.
Neil: We made that call as gamers. I mentioned to Martin Prusek (the Senators backup goalie, who entered the sport after the primary battle), “As quickly because the puck is dropped, skate down and seize their goalie. As a result of we’re all going.” All of us knew what we had been doing. Then after my battle I appeared down the ice and I see Prusek nonetheless standing at his web and his arm over the crossbar. He didn’t perceive a phrase I mentioned as a result of he didn’t battle.
Lalime: I feel Prusek was being good. Sean Burke was their different goalie. And I feel Burkie was able to go.
One other wave of fights got here at 18:45 of the third. Recchi fought with Ottawa’s Brian Smolinski, whereas LeClair and Wade Redden paired off.
LeClair: A few of it was guys selecting the incorrect guys to bop with. So, all proper, you’re going to do this, and the following shift up we’re going to do that.
Recchi: I noticed Johnny (LeClair) hastily was combating someone and I simply circled and grabbed the primary man, and, let’s go. And everyone else was going, as nicely. It’s what you do as teammates, and we had been a workforce, and we needed to point out that.
Havlat: Zdeno Chara bought an instigator penalty and Jacques saved my life that evening. He despatched me to the penalty field to serve that instigator. And that method I used to be protected. In order that was my participation within the battle. Smolinski fought Recchi proper in entrance of the penalty field and I assumed, that might have been me. And I don’t assume I’d have accomplished in addition to Smoke.
Lalime: I feel they actually needed to get at Marty. However he was contained in the field.
Flyers defenseman Chris Therien: It’s a kind of issues the place it will get loopy, nevertheless it will get to some extent the place it finally ends up being extra like a WWE occasion than an precise hockey recreation, and that’s what occurred.
Alfredsson: Nicely, I didn’t have a battle in that recreation. And the final minute and a half most likely took a few half hour to truly play. I keep in mind wanting up throughout one of many faceoffs and we’ve got 4 coaches and three gamers on the bench.
Neil: Guys had been coming off and high-fiving one another contained in the locker room. The adrenaline was going. Behind the scenes, it was actually intense.
The ultimate battle occurred on the following face-off, at 18:47 of the third, when Patrick Sharp and Jason Spezza dropped the gloves.
Senators ahead Jason Spezza: I used to be considering, ‘Who am I going to battle? When am I going to battle? And I higher be certain I battle as a result of in a recreation like that, you don’t wish to be the one man who doesn’t battle.
Sharp: The constructing was rocking. They’re finding out the penalties, and Hitch came to visit and tapped me on the shoulder and mentioned, “When 39 will get on the ice, you’re up.” And I’m considering, who the heck is 39? Is that Dominik Hasek? Then I appeared over and it’s Jason Spezza. … It’s one factor to battle once you’re within the NHL when it’s spur of the second, however when you have got time to take a seat there and take into consideration what’s coming, you get little butterflies within the abdomen. I appeared over and noticed Simon Gagne and he simply gave me a glance, like, good luck man.
Spezza: Jacques was a lot quieter. He didn’t say something about it, however I keep in mind the refs coming to our bench and saying, “That’s it. No extra fights.” And I’m considering to myself, “No method am I accomplished. I’ve to battle on this recreation.” Once I bought out to that draw, Sharpie mentioned to me, “We’re going.” And I felt like we had been the 2 younger guys who didn’t wish to get disregarded.
Hitchcock: (Martin’s) bench was shorter than mine. I simply mentioned to myself, screw it. … I’m going to attempt to run him out of gamers.
Clarke: Patrick Sharp was going towards Jason Spezza. He’s a Canadian, he may battle. Jason Spezza bought the quick finish of that one. He was the one one we received.
Neil: Spezz getting 35 minutes in penalties, we use that as a trivia query generally. However he bought all these minutes as a result of he had no tie down (as required by league guidelines to stop the jersey from coming off), he was the instigator and he fought with a visor. I want I had that on my card, however I didn’t put on a visor.
Spezza: I used to joke with Neiler about it. I feel he has each different combating file in workforce historical past. I don’t assume I’ve every other Sens information, however I bought that one.
After the sport, Clarke was so upset that he tried to seek out Martin within the guests’ dressing room.
Clarke: Foolishly, I used to be so mad at what Jacques Martin did, as a result of he had deliberate it. … I used to be pissed and I went down (to the visiting dressing room). I mentioned to their PR man, may I see Jacques Martin? He mentioned, “I don’t give you the results you want.” And he was proper. So, I left.
Martin: I suppose they wouldn’t let him in. I feel our coaches workplace at the moment was really a part of the visiting dressing room. Just a bit workplace. And somebody informed me afterwards that Bobby was attempting to get in. And he was attempting to get at me.
Ray: I heard about him coming down and being pissed off and blaming our aspect for all the pieces. However you already know what? Bobby Clarke has accomplished some issues through the years. I keep in mind enjoying towards the Flyers within the playoffs one 12 months with Buffalo. And he wouldn’t flip the lights on within the enviornment for our apply. One other time, we broke an inexpensive fan in our dressing room and he despatched us a invoice for like $2,500 to switch it. I admire him, however he at all times took issues to extremes. So I feel this was him simply attempting to be part of it.
Recchi: To me, combating is combating, however the best way we dealt with it as a workforce and the best way Ottawa dealt with it, I feel it damage Ottawa. They sort of went one path and we went the opposite due to the best way we dealt with it, and the best way everyone was concerned. Everyone. Each high expert man, to our function guys. They didn’t do this, and I feel it sort of divided their dressing room slightly bit and introduced us even nearer. I actually really feel that method.
Alfredsson: We stood our personal floor and pushed again. I feel it was one thing that helped us as a workforce for certain.
Ray: There was just one individual pissed off and I feel that was Jacques. He hated that stuff. I may see in his face, he didn’t like that stuff. I feel he was the one one within the group who didn’t prefer it. I feel for therefore lengthy that group was pushed round. And that evening, the gamers discovered they may push again. And that did quite a bit for them.
Esche: We thought it was comical, we thought it was superior, entertaining. Enjoyable to be part of.
Lalime: I don’t like combating, however that complete evening was an amazing hockey second.
Clarke: It was simply foolishness. All of them laughed about it after. However I didn’t assume it was a lot enjoyable.
Neil: On the finish of the day, we had 4 guys getting stitched up. That they had six, so I feel we received the warfare.
(Illustration: Daniel Goldfarb / The Athletic. Photographs: George Widman, H. Rumph Jr. / Related Press; Dave Sandford / Getty)