Amazing Clip Of A Mic’d-Up Marc-André Fleury Begging To Fight Jordan Binnington Goes Viral

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Hockey is really the only major sport on the planet where players are essentially allowed to settle their differences by throwing hands in the middle of a game.

Fighting may no longer serve the role it once did, and while there’s at least one study that suggests it doesn’t actually play much of a role in discouraging dirty hits and other inadvisable antics, I think the vast majority of fans would be sad to see it disappear from the game.

Goaltenders typically don’t trade blows as frequently as players at other positions, but it sure seemed like we were going to be treated to a goalie fight earlier this week after Jordan Binnington once again proved why he’s the most hateable netminder in the NHL by hitting Wild winger Ryan Hartman with a cheap shot after giving up a goal on Wednesday night.

Marc-André Fleury made it clear he’d be incredibly happy to give the Blues goalie (who was suspended for two games thanks to his outburst) the comeuppance that’s been a long time coming, but sadly, a linesman stepped in to prevent the two men from coming to blows.

Fleury is an incredibly personable guy who’s established himself as a fan favorite over the course of the 15 seasons he’s played with four NHL teams, and if you somehow didn’t love him already, I don’t know how you can’t after watching the mic’d-up clip of the altercation that the Wild graciously shared online.

Fleury said what every NHL fan was thinking by pointing out the fact that the Blues goalie has a long history of stirring the pot and (unsuccessfully) lobbying the official to let him “get the crowd going a bit” before asking to retrieve his helmet because he doesn’t like how his hair looks after taking it off.

Flower is an international treasure who (unlike Binnington was on Wednesday) should be protected at all costs.