Patrick Maroon and Nic Deslauriers Drop The Gloves In Old School Heavy Weight Fight

Normally, fights in the NHL are now limited to protecting star players from dirty plays, or in response to something that someone feels crossed a line. However, the odd time we do see a fight that is reminiscent of an older era in the NHL, one where two fighters would drop the gloves just to get some energy going in the building.

That's what happened last night between the Minnesota Wild and the Philadelphia Flyers, as Pat Maroon agreed to fight Nic Deslauriers on a whim after the energy was seemingly low to start the game. The two heavyweights agreed to go and the rest speaks for itself.

The fight was pretty even for the majority, as the two experienced fighters jostled for position while maintaining a heavy grip on each other. It wasn't until Deslauriers punched down Maroon's grip when things got interesting, as Deslauriers threw rights over the top and took Maroon to the ground.

Although the NHL is continually changing, fighting will always be a part of the game. With it being so fast and so physical, it's undoubtedly going to lead to moments where players want to settle the score.

Fights like these though, seemingly unprompted ones, are dying out and likely will continue to. The fighter is a dying type of player, as NHL rosters continue to get faster and more skilled, there is just not enough room to dress a guy solely for the purpose of fighting.