2008-09 Schultz Award: Most Old-School Moment

[Merlin401]

The Schultz Award recognizes the most crazy, old-school things that we saw in the past year of NHL hockey. Fighting was undoubtedly way up last year which is a good sign. The number of crazy moments was a little tamer than in years past as referees have become a little too good at game management and keeping things under control. Here's some stellar candidates though.

Here's some thoughts:

Nominees

Leblond Called up for NJ-Philly Home-and-Home - October 24/25, 2008
Although perhaps not as unique as the next few nominees, this home and home just had a great old-school feel to it. Home-and-homes in general remind me of the old days when hatred from the first game builds tension for the second, often leading to explosions. The Devils also recalled minor league fighter Pierre-Luc Leblond for the tough two games vs. the Broad Street Bullies, also a 80s thing to do. And the set up didn't disappoint.

Game one featured Leblond getting a five minute charging major for obliterating Cote into the boards. Then round 1 of Leblond vs. Cote when he had served his time. This was followed three minutes later by an undercard of Alberts vs. Clarkson. As nasty as that was, game 2 was even more fun. Cote fought Rupp midway through the first period before an old-school 2-on-2 fight broke out early in the 2nd. Leblond fought Cote again while Asham went with Rupp, all four players fighting in close proximity to each other. Later Brookbank and Hartnell would add the 6th pair of fighting majors to the weekend series, making this a throwback to the old NHL.

Leblond-Cote, Game 1
Clarkson-Alberts, Game 1
Rupp-Cote, Game 2
Leblond-Cote & Asham-Rupp, Game 2
Brookbank-Hartnell, Game 2

Boston vs. Avery/Ott - November 1, 2008
This game was brutal from start to finish with Steve Ott and Sean Avery getting under the Bruins skin. Boston would go on to find ways to get their revenge while winning the game 5-1 as well. Steve Ott started the party with a hipcheck on Stephen Yelle. Shawn Thornton came to his aid, throwing punches at the turtling Ott. Andrew Ference took the next turn, destroying Ott with a huge open-ice hit, then fighting Sean Avery. A few fights and cheapshots later, the real fun erupted in a 3rd period brawl. Avery put on a hit from behind and Marc Savard began pummeling him from behind while Shane Hnidy teed off on a non-fighter.

Hockeyfights.com video of individual fights:
Ference hits Ott, fights Avery
Barch-Thornton - the heavyweights have a go
The Brawl, Avery-Savard, Hnidy-Niskanen

Youtube 8 minute summary of all the rough play from the game
Dallas-Boston Game


Chicago 6-Phoenix 0 Turns Ugly - January 6, 2009
Despite fighting rising, we saw more blowouts end peacefully than ever before. But at least one game didn't end that way, when Chicago and Phoenix ended with a flurry of cheapshots.

First, Matt Walker grabs onto Ed Jovanowski and floors him with a massive right, knocking him out and leaving him motionless and bloody on the ground. As people piled on, Matt Walker was escorted with a triple minor (cross-checking, roughing, roughing) and JovoCop eventually was helped off with a huge gash in his head.

Revenge came four minutes later when Todd Fedoruk bowled over goaltender Cristobal Huet behind the net setting off another prolonged fracas. Huet was left doubled-over as the scrum raged on and Fedoruk left with a 5 minute major for charging. The game didn't feature any fights but it certainly was nasty in a way rarely seen today.

The Walker KO

Eager-Bieksa Highlight Chicago-Vancouver Brawl - March 29, 2009
Dustin Byfuglien started this by giving goalie Roberto Luongo a shot to the head. After some milling around, one of the best brawls of the 08-09 erupted. It was unique because it was like an 80s brawl. The players were pissed and skated around until the referees let them get close enough to fight. When they started, one fight stood out among the rest: Ben Eager and Kevin Bieksa. These two had no referee to break them up and engaged in a filthy fight, complete with body slams and punching while on the ice. Meanwhile, Alex Burrows grabbed a handful of Duncan Keith's hair on the other side of the ice as they fought. It was an explosive brawl that had all the hatred we sometimes miss in modern day NHL fights. And it all started with a quality cheap-shot making the whole event have a definite purpose. The rest of the game was quiet but this moment was certainly old-school.

The Brawl, featuring Eager-Bieksa

Anaheim Brawls with Detroit in Game 6 - May 12, 2009
The 2009 playoffs were definitely an improvement from last years in the fighting department. It seems as if rugged players matriculate up onto higher lines, there are more players to drop the gloves come playoff time.

Nowhere did the old-school spirit creep up more than the 6th game of the Anaheim-Detroit series when Anaheim set out to abuse the Wings after the whistle. Ryan Getzlaf started throwing punches at Marian Hossa, Corey Perry beat up on Brian Rafalski, and Scott Niedermayer laid a nasty elbow on Pavel Datsyuk and then fought him. It was a great sight that reminded fans of 80s playoff series before message-sending was largely legislated out of playoff games.

Detroit-Anaheim Brawl


My Pick

The Eager-Bieksa fight was a lot of fun and just seemed like a 70s fight where the referees were off somewhere else while the players fought without anyone even trying to break them up. Burrows pulling hair only added to that perception. This was my favorite moment of the year with the Anaheim-Detroit brawl coming in a close second.

Past Winners

2003-04: -
2005-06: Scott Parker climbs the glass
2006-07: Ray Emery fights Biron and then Andrew Peters
2007-08: Oilers-Canucks Game (game ends with 3 straight brawls)

[BrianTheAdsFan]

Went for the Flyers/Devils home and home.

Old school when not only the players, but the GM's get into the act to "goon" it up a bit.

[Humpzilla]

The Wings getting their vaginas filled in with concrete is my fav. But there were some decent ones this season. Nothing like Scott Parker jumping the glass though....

[Gunslinger]

Reminds me of back in the day when the Devils brought up Crowder(from being a landscaper)to be ready to match up against Probert. The rest is history.

[Isles4life]

There weren't that many traditional old-school moments this year, but watching Anaheim's skill players beat up on Detroit's skill players at the end of a playoff game was quite enjoyable and gets my vote.

[R.Middleton]

My favorite was Fedoruk running the goalie. That was ****ing awesome. My runner-up was NJ-PHI but 5 fights in 2 games isn't as rare as a player running a goalie in a blowout game. That defines old-school.

[nyislesfan45]

No mention of the Buffalo-Isles line brawl?

Between that and Jackman not getting mentioned, does this have something to do with you being a Rags fan, Merlin? (just messin with you)

[zoli]

For me an easy choice: Todd was pretty silent during the season but the game he ran Huet was definetly one of the rare moments in todays NHL. Honestly, i dont think after the CGY-Ana game from the 01-02 season anything similar happened.

I agree, not the biggest event in the history, but still one of the most entertaining during this season.

[devils29]

Gotta put my vote for Dallas - Boston. That game was a lot of fun.

[vandymeer13]

Their should be two new catogories one for best game of the year. (Most fights exciting) And an award for biggest chicken **** move (turtling hairpulling ext.)

[zkrisp]

The detroit one definately because i am a loyal fan. Anddd it was good.

[44_]

All of these were fun to watch, but i would have to go with the devils and flyers home and home, NJ's call up lived up to his expectation which led to a lot of fights in a hard hitting series with a lot of intensity which was great to watch.

[DUSTER76]

Sorry, but "old school" shouldnt be mentioned in the same breath with Rafalski and Datsyuk.

Philly vs Dirty Jersey gets my vote.

[Sputnik]

Anaheim kicking Red Wings' asses is my pick: an old school message for game seven to a bunch of pansies.

[Lead]

I will go with Ducks and Red Wings game 6 ending. You dont see very much game endings like these anymore and even more at playoff time. It was nice to see Ducks pushing Detroit to 7 games and beating crap out of their star players.