If you’re a Blue Jackets fan, do yourself a favor.
Locate your pocket or refrigerator schedule for this season, grab a marker and draw a few circles around the game against the New Jersey Devils on Dec. 31 at Nationwide Arena. Apparently, the Devils and Blue Jackets will do the same after their fight filled game won by Columbus, 5-3, on Dec. 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
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After engaging in four fights, committing 16 penalties and serving a combined 64 penalty minutes during a raucous second period, each team gave their side of what happened.
Dec 1, 2025; Newark, New Jersey, USA; New Jersey Devils defenseman Brenden Dillon (5) is helped off the ice after a fight during the second period of their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn ImagesDevils coach Sheldon Keefe blamed the Blue Jackets for everything and accused Dmitri Voronkov and Adam Fantilli of forcing two of his defensemen, Brendan Dillon and Jonas Sigenthaler, to engage in fights that didn’t go well for either one.
Dillon, playing his 1,000th NHL game, left the ice wobbled after two massive uppercuts from Voronkov, who dropped his right glove to punch him after first taking a gloved sucker punch to the face first. Fantilli, Damon Severson and Zach Werenski spoke about it Dec. 3 at Nationwide Arena, and the latter two offered a suggestion for Keefe.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“The video doesn’t lie, right?” said Severson, a former Devils defenseman. “When somebody comes after you, you’ve got to be ready to protect yourself. It’s just common sense. So, if you go after somebody and you don’t want to fight, that’s on you.”
Reviewing the video shows, clearly, that Dillon and Siegenthaler ignited each fire and instantly regretted the smoke.
Dillon broke out of Voronkov’s bear hug and connected with a gloved left cross to the unsuspecting 6-foot-5, 234-pound power forward’s face after getting pulled away from a scrum where he attempted to cross-check Fantilli in the head. Dillon paid a big price when Voronkov, who rarely fights, grabbed his collar with a gloved left hand, shook off his right glove and fed two huge uppercuts to his face, dropping Dillon to the ice.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt was Fantilli’s jab at goalie Jake Allen’s left pad, following up his own wrist shot, that prompted Dillon’s over-the-top response during a special night for an impressive milestone. He appears to be fine, physically, after briefly returning to the game at the end of the second period, but that was just the start.
Voronkov also obliged a fight invitation from Stefan Noesen later in the period and, after twice allowing Noesen to get to his feet, took punches immediately after falling to the ice himself. Fantilli soon fought Siegenthaler, defenseman Brendan Smith scrapped with Devils forward Paul Cotter and Sean Monahan got into altercations that stopped just short of punches.
That was all related to the Devils seeking retribution for Voronkov dropping Dillon, including their targeting of Blue Jackets star Zach Werenski. He didn’t have anything to do with what happened, but he’s the Jackets’ best player and, thus, wore an invisible target. Connor Brown drilled Werenski with a clean hit along the wall, which was fine, but also smacked him in the face with a gloved right hand before dishing out cross-checks and a slash that ultimately got him sent to the box.
Dec 1, 2025; Newark, New Jersey, USA; New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler (71) and Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (19) fight during the second period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn ImagesBrown then went after Fantilli with a cross-check, slash and shoving to start a scrum not long after Monahan tied it 2-2 with a 4-on-4 goal.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“I just don’t think that math adds up,” Werenski said. “I had no part in any of it. I was just so confused on how it was handled, because it’s one thing to finish checks and all that. That’s part of the game. I’m all for that, but when you’re swinging your stick and cross-checking guys, I don’t know, I don’t feel like that’s the right way to go about it.”
Neither did Fantilli.
He was dealing with Brown’s rage before Siegenthaler spun around the Blue Jackets’ Zach Aston-Reese, who’d grabbed Brown, and connected with his gloved right hand while trying to grab hold of Fantilli. The young Blue Jackets center sensed a fight coming and began to pound Siegenthaler with his right hand after his glove had already come off in his encounter with Brown.
Keefe "didn't like" that one either.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“I mean, we can all watch the game back,” he told reporters. “Siegenthaler receives seven punches before he removed his gloves, so, for me, there should be an extra penalty there.”
Dec 1, 2025; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Dmitri Voronkov (10) and New Jersey Devils right wing Stefan Noesen (11) fight during the second period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn ImagesActually, upon review, it was eight. He missed Fantilli’s final uppercut, but who’s counting?
“I don’t think you come over top, grab someone, and go away if you’re not ready for something,” Fantilli said. “I had my gloves off. Keefe says I threw seven punches (eight, but again, who’s counting?) before he takes his gloves off. I don’t know how you take seven punches (eight!) before throwing your gloves off. That’s a pretty long time.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEven longer was the amount of time Sigenthaler missed afterward. Since his jersey came off during the tussle, it was clear that he hadn’t tied it down in the back, as per NHL regulations. That prompted an automatic ejection, and the Devils played most of the remaining game with only four defensemen.
Again, according to Keefe, that was all the fault of the Blue Jackets, who are now getting tested each game while playing without injured enforcers Mathieu Olivier and Erik Gudbranson.
"It’s kind of an identity thing," Fantilli said. "Yeah, we have Ollie and we have Guddy who can take care of that stuff., but when they’re not in our lineup, it’s still a part of our identity. It’s part of the way we play. Maybe we don't fight four-to-five times every game, but when things need to be taken care of, it’s in this locker room. We care about each other and we’ve got each other's backs, and I think we kind of proved that, too."
Nov 15, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; New York Rangers center Sam Carrick (39) fights Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Mathieu Olivier (24) in the second period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn ImagesAsked if the New Year’s Day rematch might be a chance for further retribution, Cotter said this: “I’m sure it’s going to be, uh ... quite the match next time we play them, yeah.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWerenski attempted to dial things down while talking about what happened, but the Jackets won't be intimidated going into that game. They’re currently more concerned with their upcoming schedule, including a game Dec. 4 against the Detroit Red Wings, but they'll be ready for whatever the Devils bring to Columbus.
That includes Olivier, who’s one of the NHL’s top enforcers. His status is week-to-week with an undisclosed injury that occurred Nov. 24 in Washington, but he watched what happened in New Jersey closely.
“Oh, yeah, he’s fired up,” Fantilli said. “He’s got that game circled on his calendar, for sure.”
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at [email protected] and @BrianHedger.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets feel Devils share responsibility in fight fueled antics
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