Must-See Video: The NHL's Fight of the Year Sees Mathieu Olivier KO Ryan Reaves

Wednesday, January 07, 2026 ,
Mathieu Olivier & Ryan Reaves fight during Columbus San Jose game

If NHL fights were judged on punches thrown, you won't find many that outclass this wild, frantic heavyweight battle late Tuesday night between the Columbus Blue Jackets' Mathieu Olivier and the San Jose Sharks' Ryan Reaves. It was late in the second period, with the Sharks up 2-1, and the Blue Jackets were looking for a spark. 

Grab the popcorn and check this out:
24 haymakers thrown. And the penultimate one was the knockout punch, leaving Reaves TKO'd, down on the ice, even stumbling briefly as he tried to get up.

In the penalty box afterwards, the two exchanged some smiles and friendly banter. 
The respect these two have for each other spilled over into the postgame interviews as well. Get a load of Reaves' explanation for how and why this fight went down:
"They had no momentum, and Olivier asked me (if I wanted to go)," said Reaves. "If I say no, and I need one later, he's gonna say no. There's not a lot of guys that are willing to give guys that anymore, so, I know in the future, I'm gonna need one from him and I'm sure he'll give it to me."

Who says hockey players don't give the media an honest answer?

And if you think you're having a bit of deja vu, you're not. This one was a rematch of a tilt the two combatants had almost exactly one year ago. That one was more of a draw.
Olivier's attempt to spark his team this time around didn't work, in the end. The Sharks went on to a 5-2 victory. 


Photo: © David Gonzales-Imagn Images
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