2009-10 Schultz Award: Best Old-School Moment

[Merlin401]

The Schultz Award recognizes the most crazy, old-school things that we saw in the past year of NHL hockey. Though the number of fights that took place year remained well above the post-lock-out lows, the number of crazy moments continued to fall as referees have become a little too good at game management and keeping things under control. Here's some stellar candidates though.

Nominees

1-Pascal Morency Comes off the Bench after Dion Phaneuf (September 17, 2009)
After Dion Phaneuf obliterated Kyle Okposo with one of his trademark open ice hits, Islander's prospect Pascal Morency decided to take matters into his own hands. He bolted off the bench as bodies were still falling back to the ice and made like a heat-seeking missile towards Phaneuf. Referees and players tried to delay the onslaught but he slithered through and finally made it to Phaneuf where a wrestling match ensued. A brawl was close, as even the goalies came out to grab one another, but order was restored. It was a nice case of old-school, immediate retribution (even if it loses a few points for being in pre-season).

Morency comes off the Bench to Fight Phaneuf

2-Mega Scrum: Rangers vs. Canucks Battle During Line Change (November 3, 2009)
For a moment, this Rangers - Canucks game was something straight out of 1990. Mike Keenan makes a messy line change by "mistake" and suddenly there's 10 guys roaming around the ice, ironically all looking for a fight. Caught on a line change, a mass of players came together and the referees were slightly overwhelmed at keeping all the angry players apart. Unfortunately, it was mostly wrestling. But it was exciting to see the two teams on the brink of a pseudo benches clearing brawl for a few minutes until order could be restored. The penalties: 5 players got misconducts (Girardi and Byers for the Rangers; Burrows, Bieksa and O'Brien for Vancouver) and Ryan Kesler got a rogue roughing minor.

10-v-10: Canucks and Rangers Scrum


3-Matt Bradley streaks off the bench to fight for Ovechkin (January 12, 2010)
In a game in which agitator Steve Downie was getting under Alexander the Great's skin, Matt Bradley decided enough was enough when he saw the Capitals franchise drop the gloves after the pair exited the penalty box for matching minors. Ovechkin took off his helmet and dropped his gloves, but Bradley jumped off the bench and made a bee-line for Downie, surprising him with a fight from a different direction. Its the sort of 'team-before-todays-game' approach that was the norm in the 70s as defending ones honor sometimes superseded two points. Best view of Bradley coming off the bench is at the end of this clip:

Bradley comes off the bench to fight for Ovechkin


4-Thornton fights Cooke in Revenge of the Savard Hit (March 18, 2010)
In one of the biggest and most controversial hits of the 2009-10 season, Matt Cooke laid out Bruins star Marc Savard with a blindside hit to the head. As is usual with these incidents, the players piped for revenge and were ready for a war. Usually nothing happens but in this case, the old school code was honored. Shortly into the first period, Bruins tough guy Shawn Thornton was on the ice with nemesis Cooke and, somewhat surprisingly, Cooke accepted the challenge from the Bruins' toughest fighter. The two dropped the gloves and Cooke held his own briefly before being overpowered. The fight harkened back to the old days when no one was above the law and everyone could be called for accountability. The highlights even made the front page of NHL.com.

Shawn Thornton fights Matt Cooke


5-Goalie Mike Smith fights Chris Neil
We weren't treated to a goalie fight in 09-10, but we at least got a goalie in a fight as the season waned in mid-April. Although Mike Smith didn't pick up an official fighting major, he did impress by dropping the gloves with Senators' heavyweight Chris Neil after Neil slew-footed him in the corner as they made contact. Perhaps fortunately for him, a host of players soon crowded in and a large scrum assumed. But anytime you see a goalie named 'Smith' start flailing away at someone and drop the blockers, one is immediately transfixed with old Islander brawl memories.

Mike Smith goes after Chris Neil

My Pick
Rangers vs. Canucks scrum: Even though the brawl that could have occurred (and would have been legendary) never occurred in the 2009 rendition, it was still exceedingly cool and exciting to see the mess of angry players converging and mayhem on the verge of taking over.


Past Winners
I figured these are always fun to review: I included links to all of the past winners so you can relive some of the madness

2003-04: -

2005-06:

Scott Parker Climbs the Glass to Fight Witt

2006-07: Ray Emery fights Biron and then Andrew Peters

2007-08: Oilers-Canucks Game (game ends with 3 straight brawls)
Brawl 1, featuring Burrows stick swing
Brawl 2, featuring Glencross vs. Weaver
Brawl 3, featuring Trevor Linden even!

2008-09: Vancouver - Chicago brawl (featuring Eager-Bieksa, hair-pulling, etc)

[ThrowdownSJ408]

Allthough the Cunuck one makes me laugh. I have to go with Option 1. Just bad ass guy sticking up.

[nyislesfan45]

I loved that Rangers scrum and Mike Smith fighting but how often will a guy come off the bench to brawl anymore?

[acdcrocksno1]

Gaborik in the middle of things again, thats two brawls he has started in one year

[Killah_punk]

If the Rangers/Canucks game actaully had punches thrown and not just wrestling it would of got my pick. So to me it comes down to Morency and Smith, so i will choose Smith, there's just something about seeing a goalie drop the gloves that reminds me of an old school moment.

[BigBadWolf1171]

I went with brads sticking up for OV.Hes gotta win something once inna while.

[caps87]

Best part of the Canucks scrum was Bieksa and Byers coming out of the box to try and fight. Avery taking O'Briens stick was hilarious too. But no punches were really thrown so Im going with Morency jumping off the bench. Bradley going after Downie was a close 2nd, but Bradley was coming on for a change, so its not quite as bad ass as just jumping over the boards strictly to go after someone.

[Humpzilla]

Love this award.

[jp4202003]

hmmm can you say Thorntons revenge pounding of Cooke!

[bobberino]

Morency...

[Billy Sherman]

Thornton/Cooke. Anyone [ Morency] who loses a fight to Louie Robitaille has no business winning an award of any kind.

LOUIEEEE !!!!!!!!!!

[ThrowdownSJ408]

I dislike Matt Bradley but I like what I saw here. Frazer McLaren did the samething when Dan Heatley was getting punked on because he is a 6'4 *****. Damn Zebras broke it up right away.

[Isles4life]

The Rangers-Canucks scrum came so close to being amazing, but unfortunately things never crossed that line. I voted for Smith fight Chris Neil, I can't get enough of goalies fighting position players.

[jp4202003]

Originally Posted by ThrowdownSJ408

I dislike Matt Bradley but I like what I saw here. Frazer McLaren did the samething when Dan Heatley was getting punked on because he is a 6'4 *****. Damn Zebras broke it up right away.

theres a difference buddy. david backes is a lot more dangerous than steve downie. plus ovechkin wanted to fight, heatley didn't. it was a p*ss move by Bradley.

[Killah_punk]

I did enjoy watching Brian McGrattan getting a Gordie last season. Not sure if thats considered old school or not but its not too often a true HW enforcer scores a Gordie.