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Matthew Knies and Nico Hischier's Fight Draws Attention in Maple Leafs-Devils Game
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- Matthew Knies and Nico Hischier's Fight Draws Attention in Maple Leafs-Devils Game
Matthew Knies and Nico Hischier stole the spotlight Tuesday night in Toronto .
The two dropped the gloves in a sparking reaction across the league. The fight came during a 4-0 win by the Toronto Maple Leafs over the New Jersey Devils at Scotiabank Arena.
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Knies capped the night with a goal and continued his strong stretch. He now has goals in three straight games and six points over his last four games. The winger recorded seven penalty minutes, including a rare fighting major. On the season, Knies has 11 goals, 24 assists, 90 hits, and 79 shots in 36 games.
The fight occurred midway through the third period following a faceoff. Knies began shoving Devils captain Nico Hischier and issued the challenge after the reset. Hischier accepted, engaging in a fiery exchange before officials stepped in. Both players received five-minute fighting majors.
Hischier said his decision came from instinct, and he admitted he wanted to give his team a spark during a difficult stretch.
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"He's asking me to go, and I don't really want to back down, so I said yes," Hischier said, via NHL . "Obviously, tried to give the team a little spark there, but that's kind of what my thought process was."
It marked just the second fight of his NHL career and his first since 2021 (a fight against Mikael Granlund ). Fans online were split, praising the emotion while questioning the risk.
"Was surprised Nico engaged. Several reasons, one Devils need him on the ice, he gives up 30 lbs, and he's Swiss (they don't fight). But his team did need a boost. Didn't get it," a fan said .
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"Knies is a beauty. Nico kept antagonizing him, and did his job. Don't even care who won. 2-0 leafs when it happened and 3-0 right after. Thank you," another fan said .
"Dudes like half his size! Credit to Hischier for not backing down," a fan wrote .
"Classic leaf lol, Nico looked good, Knies kept a glove on and just pushed through, very embarrassing just like the leaf's season and future," one fan reacted .
"Known tough guy Nico Hischier," a fan said .
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"What a tough guy can't pick on anyone in his own weight class," one fan said .
Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Matthew Knies (23) fights with New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13).Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Goaltender Joseph Woll made 33 saves for his first shutout of the season. Toronto earned its third win in four games. New Jersey extended its losing skid to four and heads to the Columbus Blue Jackets next.
Related: Matthew Knies Draws Attention for Goal Against Hurricanes
Related: Matthew Knies' Twerk From Maple Leafs Bench Grabs Attention
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 31, 2025, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
