Strongman Mathieu Olivier reveals the identity of the Toughest fighter in the NHL, and his answer is surprising
The story of Mathieu Olivier is a beautiful one, but above all, it is truly inspiring. The forward, who was never drafted by an NHL team, has managed over the years to prove his worth in a team within the NHL.
Despite not being selected in any of the league's drafts, he found his place with the Milwaukee Admirals in the AHL. He impressed the Nashville Predators' management enough that they gave him the opportunity to play eight games in the show during the 2019-2020 season. His name was now established in the league!
So much so that the Columbus Blue Jackets acquired him last June with the ultimate goal of adding him to their lineup for the just-concluded season. Olivier was able to play 66 games with the Jackets, tallying 5 goals and 10 assists for a total of 15 points.
Those who have seen him play, however, know that it's not his puck-handling skills that are impressive in his case, but rather his physicality. The 6-foot-1, 217-pound colossus is not afraid to drop the gloves. According to the website HockeyFights, that keeps track of fights in the league, Olivier has fought on 11 occasions in the NHL during his career, with 9 of them occurring in the 2022-2023 season. We all remember his fight in November 2022 against Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj.
According to the main person involved, the most formidable tough guy in the league is not Xhekaj or Nicolas Deslauriers, but Milan Lucic.
He is the opponent who has given him the most trouble since the beginning of his NHL career.
- Mathieu Olivier
Here is the famous fight:
To see what Mathieu Olivier had to say on the subject in an interview with Jean-Charles Lajoie, click here:
| POLL | ||
Which one is the best fighter, according to you? | ||
| Lucic | 95 | 36 % |
| Deslauriers | 32 | 12.1 % |
| Xhekaj | 134 | 50.8 % |
| Olivier | 3 | 1.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
