Honor, Revenge And Bloody Knuckles: This Right Here Is Why Hockey Is For Men

One of the greatest things about hockey is that they still allow players to drop the gloves and bash each other’s faces in.

Not only is it wickedly entertaining to watch players on ice skates pummel each other, but the fights sometimes carry a sense of honor. NHL players don’t always drop their gloves for no reason like barbaric apes. Often, a player or a teammate has been wronged, and the fight is a way to stand up for them and show some dignity. (RELATED: Fans Are Furious After Hurricanes Player Bodyslams Competitor Onto Ice With UFC-Style Move)

Such was the case on Monday in the opening seconds of the Ducks/Maple Leafs game. Radko Gudas, the Ducks captain, answered the bell. Max Domi, a Maple Leafs player, dropped his gloves immediately. He was getting revenge for his teammate, Austen Matthews, to whom Gudas delivered a season-ending injury weeks before.

Throughout the game, other Maple Leafs players each got their turn taking a dig at Gudas. That’s the way it works in sports, of course. When you are a part of the team, you look out for your teammates. You stand up for them, and if someone messes with one player, they’ve messed with the whole team.

You can watch the fight here.

Radko Gudas is IN the lineup against Toronto on Monday night and he knows he’s going to have to answer the bell for ending AM34’s season 👀 pic.twitter.com/Sz53TOsnTp

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 30, 2026

The Daily Caller’s entertainment correspondent, Leena Nasir, tells Mr. Right that Toronto fans were waiting with great expectation for the moment Gudas got his comeuppance.

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 30: Radko Gudas #7 of the Anaheim Ducks and Max Domi #11 of the Toronto Maple Leafs fight during the first period at Honda Center on March 30, 2026, in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images)

And that he did. Gudas knew he was going to take a bruising in this game, but he wanted to “stand by” his “mistakes” and show his face even though he ended Matthews’ season. He wanted to face the music like a man. Take accountability for his actions.

Yes, the fight is great entertainment for a world where most sports have been nerfed to keep players “safe.” That hockey players can still duke it out is always a breath of fresh air.

But this fight in particular shows that, even if you wronged someone, you can always show spine and dignity. You can show it if someone wronged you, as was the case with the Maple Leafs players, and you can be like Gudas, bearing the consequences without complaining.