When there are bitter rivalries and millions of fans watching, clashes can erupt at any second. This is exactly what happened in a 1979 match between the Boston Bruins versus the New York Rangers. Though the Bruins won the match, a shocking act by a fan led to one of the most terrible brawls in NHL history. In the rare faceoff between

hockey fans and an NHL team, 18 players from the Bruins team were involved.

The incident took place at Madison Square Garden on 23rd December 1979. Bruins player, Mike Milbury played a vital role in the incident. While Milbury’s reaction spurred his teammates to action, it was an awkward moment for the then General Manager of the Bruins team, Harry Sinden.

One of the most unforgettable brawls in the history of hockey

The incident began after there was a skirmish between a Ranger and a Boston Bruins player. While other teammates began to pay attention to this fight, a fan managed to hit Bruins player Stan Jonathan with a stick despite the protective layer of glass. What happened next was completely unexpected. Mike Milbury, who had noticed the unruly fan, rushed to the stands to catch hold of him. Following his example, other Bruin players, including Peter McNab and Terry O’Reilly also went into the stands.

Later, on catching the fan, Milbury went on to beat the unruly fan with a shoe. Noticing the brawl, the Bruins team’s General Manager tried to take the Bruins’ players toward safety and end the brawl. However, the damage was already done and the incident became widely popular.

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Soon enough, there were negative consequences for the players involved in the scuffle. Three of the players who played a major role in the fight were temporarily suspended. While Terry O’Reilly was prohibited from playing 8 games, Peter McNab and Milbury were banned from playing six games. All the players involved in the scuffle were heavily fined after the incident. John Kaptain, the unruly fan was also arrested after the incident.

Another fan brawl in a match of the Boston Bruins versus the Arizona Coyotes

This incident took place on 14th December 2022. There was a verbal argument between the fans of the two rival teams. The skirmish became more serious after one fan bit another fan. An individual named Steven Rocha was seriously injured in the scuffle that ensued. Police later took an unruly fan Nashaknik Allen Shontz into custody along with five other members for spoiling public harmony.

Both the brawls involving Boston Bruins clearly show how the fans’ passion can be dangerous sometimes. Do you think Mike Milbury’s action was justified in beating up the fan with the shoe? Let us know in the comments below.

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