Greg WyshynskiFeb 2, 2026, 02:08 AM ETCloseGreg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.Follow on XMultiple Authors
Goalie fight breaks out at Stadium Series after scrum in front of Bruins’ net (1:23)Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman gets involved in a scrum in front of the net, which sends Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to the other side of the ice to fight Swayman. (1:23)
TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning credited the first goalie fight in an NHL outdoor game for helping to spark their historic Stadium Series comeback win over the Boston Bruins on Sunday.
With 8:59 left in the second period and the Bruins leading 5-2, Lightning forward Brandon Hagel tried to poke the puck from under Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman after a save. Swayman then jumped on top of Hagel next to his crease, leading to a melee between the teams while the Lightning were on a power play. Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy skated from his crease to the opposite blue line during the chaos.
“I just saw Sway was swinging the blocker on [Hagel] a bit, so it was just a reflex to go to the red line and challenge him. He accepted,” Vasilevskiy said.
Swayman spotted the Tampa Bay goalie, dropped his stick and skated out to meet Vasilevskiy for a brawl. Swayman took off his gloves and mask and signaled to Vasilevskiy to remember to remove his mask before the fists flew.
The Lightning goalie nicknamed “The Big Cat” grabbed Swayman’s collar and started throwing left hands. The Boston goalie wasn’t able to get much offense in before Vasilevskiy wrestled him to the ice.
“No,” the Bruins goalie said curtly, with a laugh. “Glad we both had our first gig against each other. Really worthy opponent.”
Vasilevskiy gave him a tap on the back and then tapped the back of Swayman’s head in appreciation of the moment, grinning widely as the fans roared inside Raymond James Stadium.
“When we both fell, we just kind of said to each other nice words. It was super nice. It’s one of the biggest moments for me, because I never fought in the NHL,” Vasilevskiy said. “Big thanks to him. He was great in the net all game and great in the fight as well.”
“He wanted to win, which is good. So did I. So that’s game respecting game,” he said. “I’m fighting the biggest, toughest goalie in the league. It wouldn’t be my first choice, but glad we got the first one out of the way. Probably retire after that.”
The crowd of nearly 65,000 fans stood and cheered during the confrontation, and then again when the referee announced the goalies had both received five-minute majors for fighting. Players on both benches were on their feet, too, slapping their sticks against the boards in appreciation and respect for their netminders.
“He was throwing lefts. I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ I didn’t want to be the other guy,” Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov said. “I was so happy. I was so fired up. I think the bench felt it. Everyone in the building felt it. Ever since that fight, the game was turned. Vasy had to do it, I guess. He had to wake us up.”
The Lightning would score twice on 5-on-3 power plays over the next 5:12, cutting the Bruins’ lead to 5-4 heading into the third period. Kucherov tied the score in the third period, and the Lightning eventually won 6-5 in a shootout.
Tampa Bay’s rally from a four-goal deficit to win marked the largest comeback victory in franchise history and the largest comeback win in an NHL outdoor game.
Lightning coach Jon Cooper said he could feel the momentum starting to swing before the fight, but the goalie throwdown was an emotional high the Lightning needed at that moment.
“I was like, ‘Thank goodness something positive was going to happen to our game,'” he said. “I give Boston a lot of credit. They took it to us and we weren’t prepared for it. Vasy was pissed.”
“I knew he was going to beat the wheels off of Swayman right away,” Kucherov said. “We call him ‘White Tyson’ now.”
Goalie fight breaks out at Stadium Series after scrum in front of Bruins’ net (1:23)Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman gets involved in a scrum in front of the net, which sends Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to the other side of the ice to fight Swayman. (1:23)
Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman gets involved in a scrum in front of the net, which sends Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to the other side of the ice to fight Swayman. (1:23)
Greg WyshynskiFeb 2, 2026, 02:08 AM ETCloseGreg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.Follow on XMultiple Authors
“I don’t want to hit his helmet, so I’m glad we didn’t do that,” Swayman said.
Did Swayman know that Vasilevskiy was a lefty before their fight?
Hagel said he felt the fight was “a big turning point in the game.”
So did Kucherov, who was also convinced that his goalie would win the fight.
CloseGreg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.Follow on X