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Top 5 Canucks fights of the 2024-2025 season: #2 – Elias Pettersson vs. Logan O’Connor

Originally posted on Canucksarmy | By Tyson Cole | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 9:00 AM ET

Welcome to our top 5 Vancouver Canucks fights of the 2024-2025 season. With our friends from HockeyFights.com, at #2, we have the fight between Elias Pettersson and Logan O’Connor.

In Game 79 of the season, the Canucks were just playing for pride, as they had been mathematically eliminated from the postseason. They travelled to Colorado to face the Avalanche, in what was their final road game of the year. While the game didn’t mean much to the Canucks, it also didn’t significantly affect the Avalanche, as they had already secured third place in the Central Division, with a very small chance of not facing the Dallas Stars.

This game started as many other Canucks games in 2024-2025, very slowly. The shots were 7-6 in favour of the Avalanche, heading into the first break.

The Canucks came out of the gates strong, tallying two goals off the sticks of Jake DeBrusk and Kiefer Sherwood. Later in the middle frame, Devon Toews got the Avalanche on the board, only to be erased by an early third period goal from Dakota Joshua.

And as the Avalanche tried to mount a comeback, the tenacious defence from Elias Pettersson got under the skin of Logan O’Connor, resulting in the young defenceman’s first fight in the National Hockey League.

Paired for a rare shift with Quinn Hughes, Pettersson felt a little adventurous, playing up near the point in the defensive zone. Pettersson picked up O’Connor as a check and did not let him get positioning on him.

Sticking with him from the top of the zone to the netfront, Pettersson did not let his eyes off O’Connor, making sure to stay between him and his goaltender. O’Connor joined the cycle game, which Pettersson trailed not far behind.

The Canucks defenceman tied him up in the corner, holding him against the boards while the puck went behind the net and to the other end of the zone. Cale Makar picked up the puck and sent a floater toward the net.

As the two leave the corner and head to the net, Pettersson steps into O’Connor and dumps him to the ice as Kevin Lankinen catches the Makar point shot.

Clearly frustrated with Pettersson’s physicality, O’Connor gets up and gives Pettersson a cross-check in the upper chest. The two lose their helmets before their gloves and begin the fight.

Standing three inches taller than O’Connor, Pettersson uses his height to his advantage and throws him around, landing a few punches before O’Connor can get his gloves off. Now against the boards, the two exchange blows, with Pettersson looking to land the more impactful one. O’Connor loses his vision with his jersey over his head and takes Pettersson to the ground, but not before he eats a few more punches.

Not a bad first NHL, rook!

HockeyFights voters gave this fight a 6.35/10 and sided with Pettersson, earning 85% of the 48 votes. O’Connor received 10%, while 4% of voters believed the fight was a draw.

Our previously ranked top 5 fights of the Canucks season:

#5 – Dakota Joshua vs. Brady Tkachuk
#4 – JT Miller vs. Anthony Mantha
#3 – Dakota Joshua vs. Michael McCarron

What would you rank this fight out of 10, Canucks fans?

This article first appeared on Canucksarmy and was syndicated with permission.

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