# Ice hockey: does play stop when there's a fight?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-hockey-does-play-stop-when-theres-a-fight/941532>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Tags:** hockey-nhl\
**Created:** [May 6, 2021, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-hockey-does-play-stop-when-theres-a-fight/941532 "2021-05-06T16:25:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-hockey-does-play-stop-when-theres-a-fight/941532/1 "2021-05-06T16:25:09Z")

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In ice hockey, be it the NHL or another league, is play automatically stopped if a fight breaks out? I mean, do the officials stop play and pick up the puck, or could the other players continue to play?

Bonus question: Have teammates ever fought each other on the ice during a game, at any level?

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-hockey-does-play-stop-when-theres-a-fight/941532/2 "2021-05-06T16:29:26Z")

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The refs blow the whistle to stop play when a fight breaks out.

I don’t know a particular case but I’d be surprised if teammates never fought each other on the ice during a game because they do it anywhere else.

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**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2021, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-hockey-does-play-stop-when-theres-a-fight/941532/3 "2021-05-06T18:57:43Z")

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[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8AJXS0wF9MM/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AHUBoAC4AOKAgwIABABGGUgZShlMA8=&rs=AOn4CLDX5tyqCsAyrBQ2EVgichjKwkfF8A "Capitals Rangers all 6 fights + Line Brawl in first 5 min, Washington Capitals at New York Rangers") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AJXS0wF9MM)

The first 5 seconds of this video is classic. The refs blow the whistle less than 2 seconds after the puck is dropped. But you can hear the whistle blow seconds after each fight starts.

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**Author:** ![stuccosuperstar2020](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@stuccosuperstar2020](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuccosuperstar2020)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-hockey-does-play-stop-when-theres-a-fight/941532/4 "2021-05-18T08:37:18Z")

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Just like any other called penalty, referees blow their whistles and play stops, and the players watch as the referees do as well but step in once it appears the fight is won or both fighters are blown up.

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**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2021, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-hockey-does-play-stop-when-theres-a-fight/941532/5 "2021-05-19T04:12:26Z")

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The question makes me wonder what hockey would be like if they **didn’t** stop play when a fight broke out, and honestly, it might be kind of cool.