All Star Game Memories: All Star Fight

Only once in NHL All Star Game history has a fight ever broke out.

At Chicago Stadium in 1948 Gordie Howe and Gus Mortson surprised fans by dropping the gloves "with full vim and vigour." Apparently the two hockey stars went at it so hard that it was decided they would not serve the 5 minute sentence in the penalty box. You see, back then the penalty box was basically shared by each team, with little to stop angry players to continue their disagreement. It was decided Howe and Mortson would stay on their own team's bench, but under police guard!

This was the second official NHL all star game. In the first game in 1947, Chicago scoring star Bill Mosienko badly hurt his ankle, causing much controversy regarding the All Star game. As a result, most players tended to avoid physical play, a tradition was has grown ever more tranquilly to this very day.

All of which makes the Howe-Mortson fight of the 1948 NHL All Star game even more amazing!

And I guess it would not surprise you that Gordie Howe is the NHL's most penalized player in All Star game history, serving 25 minutes in 23 games. Mortson, ranks second with 21 minutes in just 9 games.

By The Way: Howe and Mike "Shakey" Walton got into quite the altercation in the 1968. The two jousted with their sticks and then dropped their gloves and sort of bear-hugged each other. The linesemen stepped in very quickly before either player could get their fists loose. As a result both Howe and the normally peaceful Walton both got just 2 minutes for roughing.