New Jersey Devils ECHL affiliate Adirondack Thunder was preparing for a game on Friday night against the Reading Royals. The Royals are one of the worst teams in the league, sitting in second to last in the conference. This was a good opportunity for the Thunder to gain some points in the standings.
The Thunder made the interesting decision to start David Fessenden in net. He was signed in the offseason after a college career that spanned University of Alabama-Huntsville, University of New Hampshire and Canisius College. He's a very large goalie, standing at 6'6, so it's no wonder the Thunder decided to give him a shot.
The Devils do have Tyler Brennan on that roster, who would be the guy with a shot to make it to the next level in the future. However, we believe Jeremy Brodeur is back on the Thunder roster, so most would assume he would get the second half of a back-to-back. It's possible Brodeur wasn't available, and honestly, because of what transpired, we're glad he wasn't.
A big brawl took place between the Thunder and Royals in the first period. It turns out the Royals weren't happy that the Thunder went up 2-0 just two minutes into the game. When the fights started, Fessenden was not shy about joining the fray.
WE HAVE A GOALIE FIGHT AND OH MY IT WAS QUICK @ECHL pic.twitter.com/Fvij8izXxr
— Adirondack Thunder (@ECHLThunder) December 21, 2024
Devils affiliate saw a goalie fight that was easily won by our guy
As the tweet from the official Thunder account states, the fight was quick. In less than eight seconds, Fessenden knocked the Royals goalie down twice. We hear about players trying to stake their claim on a roster spot with a fight, but we never hear about it from a goalie. The Thunder were clearly motivated by the fight, as they went on win the game 4-1.
These two teams face off once again on Saturday, and Tyler Brennan is expected to be in net. However, if we think this is going to be another testy affair, it might be best to keep the hot hand... and fist.