Sergej Bobrovski, Alex Nedeljkovic put down their gloves in the fight against the goalkeeper

Hockey fans were treated to one of the rarest and most common in the NHL Monday night fun times when he is the goalkeeper of the Florida Panthers Sergei Bobrovsky and San Jose Sharks goalkeeper Alex Nedeljković broke out into an unexpected fight against the goalkeeper.

The fight broke out with just over 14 minutes left in a game that steadily escalated in intensity. Post-whistle brawls, shoving and physical exchanges had already set an erratic tone, making the final confrontation feel inevitable as emotions continued to spill over.

The turning point came when Aleks Nedeljković got involved in a fight from the corner in which skaters from both teams participated. Seeing how the situation was escalating, Sergei Bobrovsky made a decisive movesliding the length of the ice from his crease to directly confront Nedeljkovic.

WE WON THE GOAL FIGHT 🚨‼

BOBROVSKI AND NEDELJKOVIĆ 🤯 pic.twitter.com/8rKnPkCl3N

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 20, 2026

Before committing, Bobrovsky removed his blocker and catcher, a common step for goaltenders preparing for a scrimmage, as officials rushed to manage the situation.

Bobrovski and Nedeljkovic were both given major five-minute penalties for fighting, along with additional two-minute penalties for leaving their creases to join the brawl. Despite the severity of the penalties, both netminders stayed in the game, which San Jose eventually won 4-1.

This fight marked the first NHL goalie vs. goalie fight since February 1, 2020, when Mike Smith and Cam Talbot famously clashed during the Battle of Alberta, highlighting how uncommon these moments have become in the modern league.

Tensions also arose before the match between the goalkeepers, including an earlier physical exchange between them Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk and Sharks defenseman Vincent Desharnais in the opening period. That confrontation further fueled the colorful atmosphere that eventually boiled over.

For Bobrovsky, a veteran goaltender who helped lead Florida to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, the incident added another memorable chapter to an already decorated career. Both teams will look to channel Monday’s raw emotions more productively as the season continues, with fans talking about this ultra-rare goaltending battle long after the final siren.