Friday Night Fights: Zdeno Chara vs. David Koci

Tale of the Tape: 

Zdeno Chara:    6'9"  251 lbs 1,385 career penalty minutes

David Koci:       6'6"  238 lbs    461 career penalty minutes

It may not have been a good idea that David Koci decided to take a hack at Tim Thomas after he froze the puck.  A guy like Zdeno Chara may take exception to such acts.  At the time Koci hadn't recorded an NHL goal and may have been hacking for that first career tally, but instead he scored mangled face.

On October 25, 2007 early in the first period the Bruins and Blackhaws were knotted at zero when David Koci takes a chip at Tim Thomas after a whistle.  Captain Zdeno Chara grabs Koci and decides to have an appetizer.  A nice scrum breaks though behind the Bruin net between a handful of player.  Chara and Koci break free from the arms of the referees and lock up.  Chara fires off a few quick rights before connecting with a bomb that cuts open Koci's face and breaks his nose.  Koci actually got in a nice shot that knocks Chara down for a moment.  It proved to be the only punch he landed during the scrap though.  Chara lands a few more punches before the refs break up the fight.  The refs realized how bad Koci was hurt and did the right thing by getting in between the two giants.

Koci vs Chara Oct 25, 2007 (via hockeyfightsdotcom)

It was as obvious of a win that there could be for Chara in this fight.  Got to give Koci a lot of credit for dropping the gloves with a guy of Chara's caliber.  It was a match between a couple of heavyweights, but Chara proves quickly to the rookie why he is a Captain in this league.  A week earlier Koci broke his nose in a fight against the late Wade Belak so maybe squaring off with Chara wasn't the best idea.  It was a pretty lop-sided fight, but the image of David Koci's blood soaked face is an image that Bruins fans won't soon forget.