Though outsiders are quick to bash this element of the game as ruthless or unnecessary, players and referees alike expect and tolerate a few blows under certain circumstances. Though at first glance it may appear to be a brutish bashing of skulls with no real purpose, there are actually a whole list of unspoken rules for an NHL fist fight. Most hockey fans feed off the excitement of team rivalries especially when it comes to blows on the ice, and players never fail to deliver. Each season we see our fair share of fights, but only a few are worth remembering, so we’ve come up with our pick of the top 5 fights of the 2009-2010 NHL season.

1. Cam Janssen vs. Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond: These two turned what would otherwise be a low-profile game into one of the most watched matches of the season, well at least two and half minutes of it. One of the longer-lasting fights of the year, Janssen and Leblond went at it for almost 3 minutes and never seemed to tire, despite the constant blows and action for the duration of the fight. Read on …