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Viral NHL Fight Between Ryan Reaves and Mathieu Olivier Renews Scrutiny of Hockey’s Fighting Rules

The center-ice bout in San José refocused attention on safety because the league treats consensual fights as five-minute majors, not automatic ejections.

Overview

  • The altercation took place on January 6 at the SAP Center, where Mathieu Olivier landed a punch that knocked Ryan Reaves to the ice.
  • Officials issued five-minute major penalties to both players under Rule 46, with no ejections and play resuming afterward.
  • Video of the fight amassed millions of views on social media, fueling conversation about the sport’s enforcer culture and injury risk.
  • One outlet reported Reaves underwent a concussion evaluation in the locker room and later returned to the game, a detail not confirmed by team or league sources.
  • Coverage included conflicting attributions of each player’s team and a single report of a 5–2 San José win, points not consistently corroborated across reports.