The grand daddy of them all... the one fight that left you talking about it long after it was done. The fight that you will remember the rest of the summer waiting for the next hockey season to start.
Nominees
Steve MacIntyre vs. Raitis Ivanans Oct 7, 2010
Jay Rosehill vs. Francis Lessard Feb 19, 2011
Jamie Benn vs. Jarome Iginla Dec 23, 2010
Nathan Horton vs. Zach Smith Apr 9, 2011
John Erskine vs. Eric Boulton Nov 14, 2010
My pick
All these fights are different in so many ways... two heavy weights settling a score at the end of the game, a youngster wanting to make his name against an old enforcer, the captain standing up for himself and his team, two middle weights throwing with destructive intentions, and two heavyweights dancing to dance.
Lots of other great fights that will get HM's later on.
But, for my pick, I'm going to go with the two middleweights at the end of the year that throw caution to the wind and stand in there for your classic punch in the face contest...
Nathan Horton and
Zack Smith. Its one thing to tuck your chin and windmill at your opponent, it's another to take his best shot a few times on the jaw, stay upright and keep throwing your own fist back at him. Due to the hard punches that land, the frequency they land, and the balls to the walls attitude, Horton/Smith gets my nod.
Honorable mentions:
Jim Vandermeer vs. Milan Lucic Feb 27, 2011
Krys Barch vs. Cam Janssen Jan 2, 2011
Kevin Westgarth vs. Chris Neil Nov 22, 2010
Ryan Wilson vs. Jordin Tootoo Mar 12, 2011
Previous winners
2003-04:
Chris Simon vs
Grant McNeill (
Simon vs McNeill Nov 26, 2003)
2005-06:
Todd Fedoruk vs
Brian McGrattan (
Fedoruk vs McGrattan Jan 19, 2006)
2006-07:
Eric Godard vs.
Derek Boogaard I (
Godard vs Boogaard I Jan 9, 2007)
2007-08:
Riley Cote vs
Shawn Thornton (
Cote vs Thornton Oct 27, 2007)
2008-09:
Riley Cote vs
Eric Godard (
Cote vs Godard Oct 14, 2008)
2009-10:
Cam Janssen vs.
Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond (
Cam Janssen vs. Leblond Mar 20, 2010)