Last night, 5’11” Oliver Moore dropped the gloves with 6’3” Alexander Nikishin following a big hit. He lost the fight, but his reaction afterward is now being praised by fans.
It takes courage to drop the gloves in the NHL, and it takes even more courage to do so against someone significantly bigger. Chicago Blackhawks forward Oliver Moore stands 5’11” and weighs 187 pounds, yet he didn’t hesitate to engage Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin, who stands 6’3” and weighs 218 pounds.
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Oliver Moore fight against Alexander Nikishin
The tilt erupted after Nikishin laid out a big hit on Nick Lardis. Standing up for his teammate, Moore — who turned 21 last night — skated over to the much larger Nikishin and made it clear they were going. The fight didn’t last more than a few seconds before Nikishin dropped Moore.
On his way to the penalty box, Moore was filmed with a noticeable cut on his face — and a huge smile — despite clearly losing the fight. He later returned to the game and scored the 4–3 game-winning goal, completing a Gordie Howe hat trick after recording an assist earlier in the first period.
Completed a Gordie Howe hat trick
Now, fans are praising Moore’s courage online.
“Pretty sure he’d say it was worth it, judging by that big smile after!” one fan wrote on X.
“Not bad to get a Gordie Howe hat trick on your 21st birthday,” another added.
“Oliver Moore got knocked down in a fight and then scored the game-winning goal on his 21st birthday. Hell of a birthday,” a third fan wrote.
You can watch the video below.
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