St. Louis Blues: Top Ten Fighting Moments

Twist goes nuts

Tony Twist was one of the most feared fighters when he played in the NHL. He played ten years in the league and was consistently one of the best fighters.

He was an imposing force. He stood at just over six feet tall but weighed over 220 lbs. He was hockey’s version of a professional wrestler.

Even when he was in a good mood, he was a dangerous man. If you got under his skin and made him mad, you were dealing with an entirely different animal.

That was the case with the fight below. It wasn’t even necessarily a fight, but it had great entertainment value. With Twist in berserker mode, it was one of the funnier moments for Blues fans and scarier moments for the opponents.

Next: Old Friends

Twist vs Chase

At one point Twist and Kelly Chase played on the St. Louis Blues at the same time. Even before that happened, they were pretty close friends.

However, despite the fact they were friends, they were extremely competitive men. Twist arrived with the Blues almost at the same time that Chase got sent to the Hartford Whalers.

When the Blues had a chance to take on the Whale, these two heavyweights went at it. Though Twist was clearly the bigger, stronger man, Chase held his own.

The former, current and future Blues had a heck of a scrap and showed why they were some of the biggest throwers of the fisticuffs in the game.

Next: Low Channels His Inner Gallagher

Reed Low Uses Ryan VandenBussche as a Punching Bag

The heading tells you all you need to know about this one. Reed Low was one of many big, strong men the Blues used in an enforcer role. They seemed to always come up with the next one just as the old guard was moving on or sent along.

In recent history, you had Chase and then Twist and then Low took over. He wasn’t quite as powerful as Twist and didn’t have the edge that Chase did, but he combined them both in some aspects and that made him a bull to deal with once you got him going.

Ryan VandenBussche did just that and he paid the price for it. This one had all the things you want. Furious fists and lots of free wheeling effort.

If it was a boxing match, Low would not have fared well with the judges. He went for the early haymaker and completely whiffed. In the sweet science, he would have been made to pay. In a hockey fight, he simply recovered and proceeded to make VandenBussche’s face into mush.

The fists were flying like something in an action movie and seemed almost unreal. Though Chicago fans would say their man got the take down, in reality Low essentially hit his opponent with a DDT that would make Jake the Snake Roberts proud.

Next: Down Goes Probert! Down Goes Probert!

Ewen knocks out Probert

In terms of fighters, or enforcers if you will (call them goons at your peril), the name of Bob Probert is likely on the Mount Rushmore of the category. It’s not as though he had never lost a fight prior to this one, but he was still one of the biggest names in the business.

He was feared, he was respected, he was reviled by fans. Probert had the distinction of playing with both the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks, which put him in a special place within the pantheon of hatred Blues fans share for those clubs.

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That’s what made this particular fight on a seemingly forgettable late January game all the more important. Todd Ewen was a rookie. Unknown among the big boys of the NHL’s fighting world. He shouldn’t have stood a chance against the King of the Ol’ Dookeroo.

In fact, it seemed as though he wouldn’t. Ewen took some pretty good shots, but he was only going to need one.

It was the hockey equivalent of Buster Douglas taking down Mike Tyson. The rookie shouldn’t have been able to get one over on the vet. He shouldn’t have been able to overpower him. Instead, it was all over in the blink of an eye and Probert was left to ask what the plate number of that truck was.

Next: Kiss of Doom

Reaves’ kiss

This one is similar to the Twist going nuts fight. There really wasn’t a lot in the actual duel. Even so, for the pure entertainment value, it had to be on the list.

Ryan Reaves had long established himself among the dying bread of enforcers. Unlike some of his predecessors though, he actually has enough skill to be considered an actual hockey player.

I kid, of course, but there is a glint of truth in there. Despite his fighting prowess and physical nature, there has yet to be a season in the NHL that he has failed to score two or more goals.

Even so, getting into the mix is what he is paid to do. That’s just what he did against the Dallas Stars in the 2016 Western Conference Semifinals.

What makes this “fight” more astounding was the fact it was in the playoffs. You almost never see any scraps in the postseason because it is too much of a worry to lose the wrong person.

But Reaves is Reaves and he will do what he needs to do. While the fight barely lasted longer than the Fantastic Four did in theaters, it was the end product that makes it special. It could be said it was the kiss heard round the world.

Next: Dueling Captains

Backes vs Toews I

Say what you will about the validity of fights in hockey, but they are part of the backbone of rivalries. With the Blues/Blackhawks rivalry on the ropes due to both teams being in the dumps at various stages while the other was good, it took an unlikely source to renew it some.

With the Blues rebounding in the 2010 season and the Blackhawks on their way to a championship, David Backes was going on his head hunting tour of Canadian players before the Olympics. Jonathan Toews took exception to being on this list and let it be known.

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While Backes was not the captain of the Blues yet, the fight still had significance. It stood as a marker that the Blues were not going to be pushed around anymore. It also showed that even the most mild mannered player, such as Toews, can be lured in when provoked.

For someone that almost never fights, Toews more then held his own. He went toe to toe with a player that on physical appearance, seemed to have a large advantage.

In the end, it was one of the more classic duels not just for the fight itself, but what it represented to both teams and what it meant for the rivalry going forward.

Next: Is There A Doctor In The House?

Twist destroys Rob Ray’s face

Twist on here again? Well, when you’re one of the biggest and meanest dogs in the yard, you get a few extra bones. Such is the case for the Twister.

He had so many gems, he could honestly have a list all to his own. Not as much fun in that, but it is true.

No matter where Twist went as a player, destruction followed in his mighty fists’ wake. Poor Rob Ray’s face was simply on the train tracks too long when the locomotive rolled through.

Ray had every right to stand up for himself and his team. He had every right to drop the gloves and test himself against the best.

However, he would have been wiser not to. This one is best not to view if you are easily queasy.

This fight would not have even counted as anywhere close to a full round of boxing. However, afterward, Ray’s face looked like he had been in a full 15 round mega bout.

He ended up with broken cheekbones and orbital bones. He looked like he had been run through a meat grinder and the punches lasted maybe 15 seconds?

It showed the pure power that Twist held in his massive fists. It was also likely a prime example of why fighting is truly dangerous, even though many of us love it.

Next: The Rarest of Fights

Cujo vs Cheveldae

C’mon now, who doesn’t love a goalie fight? You almost never see them, even in the days when the old axiom of “I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out” were true.

They’re like the rarest of the Pokemon, which will likely become an instant dated reference but still apt.

One of the best was a quick fracas between Curtis Joseph and Tim Cheveldae. The Blues and Red Wings had some great rivalry games when they were in the same conference.

The luster of the match up has been taken away with Detroit going out east. However, in the past these two teams were as fierce a rivals as you will find.

Brawls are always fun as you never know how big it could get. However, you almost never think the goaltenders will get involved. That’s what made this one all the more special.

It had it all. A big brawl, a big rivalry match and the two least likely to fight get into it.

Next: The Appetizer

Kimble vs Cam Russell

This fight, in and of itself, may not have made the list. It was a pretty good go for both guys involved.

The fists were flying like something out of a video game. It was more something you’d see in the next Rocky movie than in an NHL game.

It could be argued as to who won the fight, if anyone. Cam Russell got in some good shots and one of them may have stung Darin Kimble pretty good to send him reeling.

However, the argument of who went down first doesn’t hold much water here. You could take the viewpoint that Kimble knew he was going down so simply grabbed Russell as he was and took him down too. It would be the smart move and something a lot of players do.

Still, the fight alone might not have made this list. It ends up on here due to its meaning and its significance.

It was the precursor to one of the biggest fights, not only in team history, but perhaps in league history. It was the undercard of the fighters trying to make a name for themselves right before the huge prize fighters come in and take the gate.

It was a solid warmup and primed the fuses and stoked the fires for what was to come just a day later.

Next: The Massacre

St. Patrick’s Day Massacre

There have been bigger brawls with more famous teams. Anything that involves players going into the crowd probably has a more lasting value on a national scale.

For people from St. Louis or Chicago, there is no bigger fight than the St. Patrick’s Day Massacre. It was a thing of beauty in hindsight and a moment of dread while living it.

In the past – and the league is returning to this a little – teams used to play home-and-home series over the weekend. So, for example, you’d start in St. Louis on a Friday or Saturday and end up in Chicago on the next day or vice versa.

Such was the case in March of 1991. The Blues opened up at home and had the Kimble/Russell fight. Then, things shifted to the Windy City and took a huge turn.

Not only did this game feature a brawl, but it had two of them. While there were certainly other incidents that added to it, this game may have been a major cause for the NHL to adopt a rule ejecting anyone who left their bench during a fight.

Not only did both teams end up with way more players on the ice than they were allotted, they took full advantage of any opportunity they had.

There were pot shots at guys like Roenick. There were fights between enforcers. Even hard nosed, but not often punchy, Scott Stevens ended up in the circle at center ice for a spotlight inducing fight.

When fans watched this live, they were likely watching in terror. There was no telling what anyone could do at any moment. Players were all but spilling over the boards to get their hands on someone. The officials were outnumbered 2-1 at times and sometimes more.

Fans were unsure of what might happen and likely furious at the opposing players as we all see things through rose tinted glasses and it had to be the fault of the guy across the rink.

Next: The Brendan Shanahan Story Ends In Fitting Fashion

Seeing it now, it’s one of the most entertaining things to happen in the Blues/Blackhawks rivaly, just this side of Ed Belfour throwing a tantrum.

It will always go down as one of the best fighting moments in the Blues’ history. Did we miss any of your favorites? Let us know.