Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky already has multiple Stanley Cups and Vezina Trophies, but Monday in Sunrise, Fla., he added another accomplishment to his record.<\/p>\n
In the 905th NHL game of his career, Bobrovsky dropped the gloves for his first fight.<\/p>\n
The 37-year-old skated the length of the ice for a bout with San Jose Sharks goalie Alex Nedeljkovic six minutes into the third period of Monday\u2019s game. The play started when Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues laid a hit on Vincent Desharnais, who was playing his first game back after injury, behind the Sharks\u2019 net. Nedeljkovic immediately skated over and shoved Rodrigues, prompting Bobrovsky to skate 200 feet down the ice, shedding his gloves in the process, for a fight with Nedeljkovic.<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udea8 GOALIE FIGHT IN FLORIDA: Alex Nedeljkovic and Sergei Bobrovsky \ud83e\udd4a #TheFutureIsTeal<\/a> #TimeToHunt<\/a>pic.twitter.com\/Xc0MLS6XKu<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) January 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI tripped the guy and then I got hit from behind,\u201d Desharnais told reporters in the visitors\u2019 dressing room. \u201cI was on the ice trying not to get stepped on. I got up and I just see Ned and Bob going at it, and I was like, \u2018Did I miss something here?\u2019 But it was a great fight. I don\u2019t think Reavo (Ryan Reaves) needs to teach him anything. Maybe he can teach a thing or two to Reavo. That was awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomebody started yelling,\u201d Nedeljkovic said in a postgame interview with NBC Sports California. \u201cI don\u2019t know who it was. I don\u2019t know if it was Wes (McCauley) or \u2014 I think one of the guys started yelling. I don\u2019t know why I felt the need to turn around but it was a little bit of an \u2018oh, crap\u2019 moment. Just fight or flight kind of kicked in. I tried to watch Reavo as best I could. I hope I made him a little bit proud out there.\u201d<\/p>\n After the game, which the Sharks won 4-1, Bobrovsky told reporters he felt Nedeljkovic\u2019s reaction to the hit was \u201ca little bit too much\u201d and \u201cover the line.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI went to make sure to get him and let him know,\u201d he said. \u201cI felt just like I made a decision and went straight into it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was just doing my best not to get punched,\u201d Nedeljkovic said. \u201cHe came out swinging, so I was just trying not to lose any teeth. It might have straightened my nose out a little bit more, but I don\u2019t want it that way.\u201d<\/p>\n As mentioned, it\u2019s the first fight of Bobrovsky\u2019s 16-year NHL career. It\u2019s the first for Nedeljkovic in the NHL, but he fought Orlando Solar Bears goalie Ryan Massa as a member of the Florida Everblades in the ECHL on April 22, 2017, according to HockeyFights.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the NHL, according to Sportsnet, it\u2019s the first goalie fight since the Mike Smith-Cam Talbot bout in the Battle of Alberta in 2020.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s exciting, but it\u2019s obviously not the thing I\u2019m doing for a living,\u201d Bobrovsky said. \u201cYeah, it is what it is. We had a good fight and unfortunately didn\u2019t (get) the two points. That\u2019s the most important thing.\u201d<\/p>\n Bobrovsky and Nedeljkovic were assessed five-minute penalties for fighting and two-minute penalties for leaving their creases. Both continued playing in the game, although Bobrovsky did make a brief trip down the tunnel for an equipment check, and a hug from backup goalie Daniil Tarasov. He returned to wild applause from the home crowd.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was exciting for sure,\u201d Bobrovsky said of the crowd\u2019s response. \u201cThat was emotional. I didn\u2019t know that it was going to be that much. It was a good feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n After the fight \u2014 and making 35 saves against the back-to-back Stanley Cup winners \u2014 Nedeljkovic stood by his decision to go after Rodrigues.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re all just playing for each other in there,\u201d he said. \u201cAll 20 guys are fighting for each other. It didn\u2019t matter who it was that would have got hit. I would have gone in for him.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t really expect the consequences of doing it, to be honest with you. I got a little surprised when he came down. But I would do it all over again, too, for Vinny, for whoever. And I think that just speaks to how close we are in that locker room and how far we\u2019ve come as a team, from camp to the first game to whatever game it is now. We just keep fighting, keep bouncing back, and we\u2019re having a lot of fun doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n