NHL

Henrik Lundqvist absolutely loved the Rangers’ line brawl with Devils

By
Social Links for Christian Arnold
Published April 3, 2024, 10:01 p.m. ET

 
 
 
 

Fans of old-fashioned hockey were probably delighted to watch Rangers-Devils devolve into a full-on line brawl two seconds into the game Wednesday night. 

And you can count Rangers legend Henrik Lundqvist among them. 

The massive brawl erupted just after the opening faceoff with Matt Rempe squaring up with Devils’ enforcer Kurtis MacDermid, and K’Andre Miller dropping the gloves with John Marino.

Jimmy Vesey went at it with Curtis Lazar, Barclay Goodrow brawled with Kevin Bahl and Jacob Trouba fought Chris Tierney. 

Henrik Lundqvist was amped by the fights in the Rangers-Devils game.
Henrik Lundqvist was amped by the fights in the Rangers-Devils game.
A scuffle breaks out between New York Rangers center Matt Rempe #73 and New Jersey Devils defenseman Kurtis MacDermid #23 as will as three other sets of players as soon as the puck drops during the first period.
A scuffle breaks out between New York Rangers center Matt Rempe #73 and New Jersey Devils defenseman Kurtis MacDermid #23 as three other sets of players as soon as the puck drops during the first period. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

The fights led to both the Rangers and Devils being left with 10 forwards and four defensemen.

The NHL on TNT studio crew was watching on the monitors, and during the first intermission, they played back footage of Lundqvist clapping his hands and pumping his fists while watching the brawl. 

The footage led to the panelists erupting in laughter.

Former NHLer Colby Armstrong was also amped to see the brouhaha. 

“How awesome is hockey?” he screamed during the intermission show. “How good is hockey right now? So many guys with points. So many guys with goals and then we get that?”

Former NHL defenseman P.K. Subban also commented on the fight on social media.

“ITS A BRAWL FOR IT ALL!!!!! Fighting in hockey is the best entertainment in sports! PERIOD!!!” he wrote on X.

Matt Rempe was among those who got into the line brawl with the Devils.
Matt Rempe was among those who got into the line brawl with the Devils. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

“A literal Royal Rumble to start the Rangers/Devils game. How can you not love Hockey?!” a user on X chimed in. 

“Tf is going on over in the rangers devils game,” another person wrote. 

Lundqvist is no stranger to line brawls between the Metropolitan Division rivals, having been on the ice for one back in 2012. 

K'Andre Miller #79 of the New York Rangers fights with John Marino #6 of the New Jersey Devils during the first period at Madison Square Garden
K’Andre Miller #79 of the New York Rangers fights with John Marino #6 of the New Jersey Devils during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Getty Images

The gloves were dropped three seconds into a March 19, 2012 game between the Devils and Rangers.

“[Then-Rangers coach John Tortorella] was not happy when he saw who the Devils were starting and that he changed the Rangers starters in the locker room before the game,” Lundqvist told ESPN New York at the time.