Sergei Bobrovsky and Alex Nedeljkovic recently got into the first goalie fight in the NHL in six years. The two backstops duked it out during a third-period scrum between the Florida Panthers and San Jose Sharks, earning a combined 14 penalty minutes.
While the Washington Capitals have seen both of their netminders, Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren, get into near-bouts of their own this season, their confrontations were stopped by on-ice officials before they could throw any punches.
Thompson was asked about Bobrovsky and Nedeljkovic’s fight during an appearance on Sportsnet’s After Hours, Saturday night.
“It’s awesome,” Thompson said. “I mean, you always love to see a goalie fight. When your goalies are sticking up for your teammates like they are, they’re just doing it for the guys. And your team loves it. All the guys love it.”
While Thompson didn’t chuck his knucks earlier this season, the 28-year-old goaltender has had a prior fight during his professional career. And, it came while he was a member of the Capitals’ minor-league system.
During a December 15, 2019, ECHL game between the South Carolina Stingrays and the Jacksonville Icemen, Michael McNiven challenged Thompson to a fight. The then Hershey Bears prospect got the better of McNiven in the contest, landing the only punches and earning the final takedown.
Thompson and McNiven each received five-minute fighting majors and an additional 10-minute game misconduct for getting into a secondary altercation. The ejected Thompson was replaced in net by current Capitals practice goaltender and emergency backup, Parker Milner, who finished the 2-1 Stingrays victory.
“I’m not a fighter,” Thompson said. “I like to be a lover, but I remember that game. I think we were up 2-0, with I think like five minutes left in the game, and he just skated down, and I didn’t really have a choice, so I just took my gear off. I didn’t want to be the guy to say no, and luckily, I dodged a couple punches and didn’t get hit.”
While he was successful in his lone fight, Thompson says he has no desire to put on a repeat performance now with the Capitals in the NHL.
“I feel like most goalies are bigger than me, so I don’t know how I’ll do,” Thompson said.
Thompson and Lindgren have been able to avoid dropping their gloves and equipment this season, but another Caps-affiliated goalie hasn’t. At the beginning of this month, prospect Garin Bjorklund got into a fight for the Stingrays against Greensboro Gargoyles backstop Nikita Quapp.
Bjorklund’s bout may just be evidence that something in the water in South Carolina is fueling goalie combat.
