Breakaway on SI

Watch: Goalie Fight Breaks Out in ECHL Game

The mystical goalie fight reemerged in a recent ECHL contest.

Jacob Punturi

Worcester Railers center Jake Pivonka (13) faces off against the Adirondack Thunder's Ryan Smith.
Worcester Railers center Jake Pivonka (13) faces off against the Adirondack Thunder's Ryan Smith. / Photo/Phoebe Wren Wong / USA TODAY NETWORK
In this story:

A recent ECHL game took all of two minutes before absolute chaos broke out. The Adirondack Thunder, the affiliate team for the New Jersey Devils, took on the Philadelphia Flyers' ECHL affiliate, the Reading Royals in a contest that will most definitely not be discussed for the goals scored.

With 18 minutes remaining in the opening period, the two teams started jawing and going at it. As the officials tried to break up the squabbling players, the goaltenders on both teams decided that they were taking matters into their own hands.

The two net minders met for a showdown at center ice in a good old fashioned goalie scrap. The tale of the tape shows that each combatant had NFL height and weight. Thunder goalie David Fessenden weighed in at 255 pounds and is 6'6 according to the team's website. Royals goalie Keith Petruzzelli, a former third round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in 2017, comes in at 6'5 and 200 pounds.

The fight was a lopsided affair, as Thunder goalie David Fessenden landed several blows on Royals puck-stopper Keith Petruzzelli as he went down to the ice. Petruzzelli never even had a chance to land any return punches, as he lost his balance after Fessenden had already gotten a few quick jabs in.

The officials then broke up the fight as the two combatants remained entangled on the ice. It was a spirited bout, and it's even crazier when you realize this all happened within the first 120 seconds of the game.

The Royals and Thunder are both at the bottom of the ECHL standings so far this season. The Thunder have a slight advantage, with a 10-10-1 record through 21 games. The Royals 8-14-4 through 26 contests and are tied for the least amount of points in the league so far.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway On SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

Published
Jacob Punturi
JACOB PUNTURI

Home/News Feed Page