NHL Fighting Rises Sharply in Early 2026-27 Season

Fighting in the NHL is up this season, according to league figures cited by ESPN: through the first 120 games of 2026-27, 34 games included at least one fight, compared with 25 fighting-majors games over the same early stretch last season and 26 in 2024-25.

How much has NHL fighting increased this season?

The league's own count is the mechanism at the center of the trend. Through 120 games, 34 produced a fight — a rate that outpaces both of the prior two campaigns measured over an equivalent number of games, 25 and 26, ESPN reported. The NHL does not penalize fighting outright; players who drop the gloves typically draw five-minute majors rather than ejections, a structural allowance that has long separated the league from other major North American sports.

Data box

• Games with a fight through 120 games this season: 34
• Same measure last season (2025-26): 25
• Same measure in 2024-25: 26

Who started this season's highest-profile fight?

The fight drawing the most attention paired two of the league's top offensive players. Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, who led the NHL with 53 goals last season, fought Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz last Tuesday. MacKinnon left the ice with stitches across his nose and a bruise under his left eye, according to ESPN's account.

New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe, described by ESPN as a "noted pugilist," called the bout notable because of who was involved. "They were both just chucking there, they were both just throwing bombs," Rempe said. "Two skilled guys who were throwing, so it was pretty awesome."

It was MacKinnon's second fight of the season; he had previously fought Los Angeles Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke.

Why is MacKinnon fighting more often this season?

MacKinnon attributed his willingness to fight to his upbringing. "The way we all grow up in the Maritimes is pretty gritty. Most guys from that area are feisty. I think it's good to do it sometimes," he said after the Hintz fight, per ESPN. "I might be done for the year, but I guess you never know. Getting punched is not that fun. But the guys seemed to like it, so maybe I'll do it a couple more times."

Erik Johnson, an ESPN analyst who played 11 seasons with MacKinnon and won the Stanley Cup alongside him in 2022, pointed to a training change as a possible factor. "I'm actually surprised he doesn't fight more. He's so intense and he'd be the first to admit he has a screw loose. When that screw wiggles loose, you don't want to be in his path," Johnson said. Johnson noted MacKinnon has added Muay Thai to his training regimen.

"Definitely way more fights. Way more physicality and competitiveness. Which I think is great for the league, because it's something that sets the NHL apart from all the other major sports leagues."

That assessment came from an unnamed NHL veteran player quoted by ESPN, reflecting a sentiment echoed by multiple sources in the original reporting that fighting is both increasing and being treated by some players as a selling point for the sport.

Is there a copycat effect among other players?

Johnson suggested MacKinnon's visibility could be influencing teammates and opponents around the league. "When you see a guy like MacKinnon do it, maybe that has a trickle-down effect to other players being like, 'Oh, I can do this too,'" he said, per ESPN.

The ESPN piece, written by senior NHL writer Greg Wyshynski and published Oct. 22, frames the rise as part of a broader season-long pattern rather than a single incident. The headline figures — fights in 34 of 120 games this season versus 25 and 26 in the two prior seasons — come directly from the NHL, according to the report, though ESPN's story does not specify whether the league attributes the increase to rule enforcement, roster composition, or another factor.

What does this mean for players like MacKinnon going forward?

MacKinnon's own comments leave open whether he will fight again this season. His remark that he "might be done for the year" but "you never know" suggests no firm plan either way, based on his quoted statement to ESPN. The outlet's reporting does not indicate any league discipline or rule-based consequence tied to either of his two fights this season beyond standard fighting-major penalties.