Washington Capitals prospect Petr Sikora dropped the gloves late in the Hershey Bears’ 5-3 win over the Providence Bruins and delivered a surprising showing against an experienced AHL pugilist.
After being cross-checked in the back face-first into the glass, Sikora challenged Providence captain Billy Sweezey to throw hands with 6:49 remaining in the third period. The 30-year-old Bruins defenseman has fought 29 times in the regular season since 2020–21.
Sikora did not disappoint.
Petr Sikora’s first AHL fight
The Capitals’ 2024 sixth-round pick landed some big punches, including several uppercuts. At the end of the fight, the 20-year-old Czech centerman showed Sweezey respect by patting him on the neck before giving a thumps up as he skated to the penalty box.
Sikora’s fight inspired several of the Bears’ surprised tough guys, including Sam Bitten, to skate over to the sin bin to congratulate him on his bout.
“Yeah, I mean, Siki’s a dog,” Lynden Lakovic said after the game. “He’s got a lot of heart. And I think he showed that tonight. That’s a veteran guy. He’s not afraid to chuck him, from what I’ve heard. And Siki, that’s his first career fight. He definitely held his own. That’s just his game. He’s hard to play against, gets under guys’ skin. And in the locker room with stuff you guys don’t see, he’s a great person to have around and a great teammate.”
So far in his rookie AHL season, Sikora has one point, a goal, and five shots on net. His milestone tally came in the Bears’ second game of the season, scoring on a one-timer after a sensational pass by Andrew Cristall.
Sikora has been a regular in Derek King’s lineup early in the season, serving as a center in the middle six.
“He plays hard,” Bears head coach Derek King said. “He’s a little reckless at times, but I love his energy. I didn’t see that coming. You never know some of these guys that can fight. The kid he fought was a pretty tough kid, too. He handled himself well, so good for him. Again, there’s a young kid getting in the league, getting his toes wet, and he needs to learn some parts of the game. That’s going to help him move to the next level.”
