Tale of the Tape:
Mark Recchi: 5'10" 190 lbs 16 career fighting majors
Don Sweeney: 5'10" 184 lbs 12 career fighting majors
It may not be the craziest fight ever or two monsters standing toe to toe, but this just proves that Mark Recchi could handle himself when the gloves needed to be dropped. Recchi didn't get in many fights during his career. In fact he had more short handed goal with 18 than fights. He wasn't the biggest player on the ice, but he was hard nosed and as scrappy as they get. Neither Recchi nor Don Sweeney were known fighters, but none the less the two provided a pretty respectable scrap during a preseason game on September 28, 1993.
The fight originates when Sweeney clears Eric Lindros out of the crease. Recchi takes exception to Sweeney roughing up their star player and asks Sweeney to go. The two tangle up but instantly Recchi starts landing right after right. Sweeney can't do anything but absorb each punch from Recchi's assault. Sweeney doesn't get a punch in until the two tie up against the boards where Recchi doesn't let up. Recchi pulls Sweeney down to the ice when the refs jump in and stop the beating. Recchi without a doubt earns himself the unanimous victory.
Sweeney may have realized after taking that beating that he may have realized that he was better off having Cam Neely do all of the fighting. Mark Recchi only fought in a Bruins uniform once against Senator Chris Campoli, where the two would end the bout in a draw. Recchi proved throughout his career that he was one of the toughest guys to defend and wasn't afraid to step in for a teammate and drop the gloves.