Fighting in hockey may not be as prevalent as it once was, but it still very much has a place in the game. There are still a number of situations in which dropping the gloves serves a legitimate purpose, such as sticking up for yourself, sticking up for a teammates or simply trying to spark something for your team by taking on a willing combatant to create some energy in the building and on your bench.
For 5'7 Alex DeBrincat, just about every fight he'll find himself in between now and the end of his career is one that he'll be giving up some size in. DeBrincat has fought larger opponents before and he's certainly not afraid of anyone, but when he picked a fight with Ian Cole last night, it did not end well for him.
To Cole's credit, he could have inflicted a lot more damage on his opponent, standing 6'1 and 225 lbs. Good on him for recognizing how much size DeBrincat was giving up and going easy on him. I'm sure that most others would not do the same. At the same time, he still sent DeBrincat a message as well, landing a few good shots in the tilt.
