Wysh List: Why NHL fighting is up -- and getting noticed

Trend Overview

The NHL is experiencing a distinct surge in physical altercations during the 2023-24 regular season, reversing a decade-long decline in fighting majors. Heightened divisional rivalries and team enforcement strategies have driven up overall penalty minutes across the league. Teams are increasingly deploying physical bottom-six forward lines to dictate momentum and protect core talent.

Key Stats & Facts

• Fights Per Game: League-wide fighting majors have risen to 0.28 per game, representing an 18% increase compared to the 0.23 average recorded during the same period last season.
• Total Fighting Majors: Referees have assessed 18 4 fighting majors through 650 regular-season games, compared to 156 through 650 games in 2022-23.
• Early-Game Escalation: 42% of all fighting majors have occurred within the first 10 minutes of the first period, indicating planned strategic physicality.
• Penalty Minutes Surge: Average Penalty Minutes per Game (PIM/G) league-wide increased from 8.4 to 9.3, driven primarily by major penalties rather than minor infractions.
• Multi-Fight Games: 15 games this season have featured three or more fighting majors, more than double the total (7) through the same point last year.

Player Spotlight & Standings Impact

Player Spotlight: Heavyweight Leaders

• Nicolas Deslauriers (Philadelphia Flyers): Leads the NHL with 9 fighting majors and 55 total PIMs, while averaging 8:42 of ice time per game across 45 appearances.
• Matt Rempe (New York Rangers): Generated immediate league attention by logging 5 fighting majors in his first 10 career NHL games, averaging 14.8 PIM per game in a limited fourth-line role.
• Tanner Jeannot (Tampa Bay Lightning): Ranks second overall with 7 fighting majors, adding 12 points (6 goals, 6 assists) and 132 hits to maintain middle-six production.

Standings & Momentum Impact

• Winning Percentage: Teams that win a fighting major—measured by subsequent shot differential—boast a .615 points percentage over the following 10-minute game stretch.
• Playoff Race Correlation: Five of the top seven teams in total fighting majors currently occupy playoff spots, led by the Florida Panthers (.652 PTS%) and New York Rangers (.670 PTS%).
• Divisional Friction: Divisional games account for 63% of all fighting majors, directly impacting crucial four-point swings in the Wild Card standings.