On Saturday afternoon, Philadelphia Flyers forward Nic Deslauriers engaged in one of the most dramatic fights of the NHL season, dropping the gloves with New York Rangers behemoth Matt Rempe in a heavyweight showdown for the ages.
Three minutes into the game, the two fighters faced off at center ice, measuring each other up before delivering haymaker after haymaker. Deslauriers captured the takedown, throwing the crowd at Wells Fargo Center into a frenzy.
Fans weren’t the only ones entertained. Deslauriers’ teammates were ecstatic with his explosive performance, and they thanked him after the game.
“I have a front-row seat. Scott Laughton admitted, “I was right there trying to gas him up.”
“That stuff goes a long way in our room. I’m not sure I’ve ever played with a harder guy. He and [Wayne Simmonds] are neck and neck there. But D-Lo is all about the boys, and I have enormous respect for him.”
Deslauriers, regarded as one of hockey’s hardest players, has been taking on opponents’ top bruisers for more than ten years. The third-round choice from the 2009 NHL Entry Draft has 734 penalty minutes in 11 NHL seasons and 1,999 career hits, ranking seventh among all current players.
Deslauriers has never been suspended since his NHL debut in 2014.
“He’s an absolute animal. A warrior for all of us out there. Goaltender Sam Ersson joked, “I wouldn’t want to fight him. “You could feel the atmosphere in the building, and for us as a team, it just provides us with so much energy.”
Deslauriers’ heart is universally admired across the organization, yet despite his role as a key source of grit and physicality, he has been subjected to the occasional scathing. Nonetheless, Deslauriers has had a great impact on his teammates, whether he is in or out of the lineup.
Flyers coach John Tortorella sees it every day.
“He’s a big part of our chemistry,” Tortorella added. “I believe the guys respect him for what he does, what he has to do, how he prepares for a game, and what he will most likely have to do each and every game. The coaching staff surely does, and it contributes significantly to the group’s togetherness.
Deslauriers and the Flyers return to action on Sunday afternoon against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. Given the Flyers’ longstanding rivalry with the Penguins, Deslauriers adding another scrap to his stat sheet is hardly unexpected.
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