After seeing what might be the craziest brawl of all time during a game between Russian Superleague teams Kazan Ak Bars and Chelyabinsk Traktor, I pulled up what I think might be the wildest NHL brawl in recent years.
From Alex Ovetjkin;
Senators vs. Flyers, March 5, 2004.
The article, translated in part by the NY Times, noted that;
But [Traktor coach Andrei Nazarov] also said something that made sense: the NHL rule imposing automatic longterm suspensions for clearing the benches, and even longer suspensions for doing so in the last minute of play, would have prevented the absurdities in Kazan.
It's a valid point, and one wonders how long until the Superliga follows suit with their own rules regarding this type of thing. It was sadly amusing watching the refs signal the players to remain by their benches, then just standing there, unable to prevent the rest of the players from rushing into the fight.
Also, some runners up for the best NHL brawl:
Sabres vs. Senators, February 2, 2007
Red Wings vs. Avalance, March 26, 1997
Rangers vs. Kings, playoffs, 1981
Winnipeg Jets vs. Calgary Flames
