Nikishin dominates his first fight, but the rookie defender admits he dislikes that side of the game, preferring bone-crushing checks over punches.
Thursday night, Alexander Nikishin laid the beatdown on Chicago Blackhawks forward Oliver Moore in his first career NHL fight.
It was as lopsided of an affair as one would expect from the fight card —Nikishin (6-foot-3, 218lbs); Moore (5-foot-11, 188lbs) — and many Hurricanes fans were quick to crown Nikishin as the team's newest tough guy because of it.
While the Russian blueliner is certainly one tough customer with a powerful combination of size and strength, fighting isn't something that he really wants to do.
"I don't like it," Nikishin said on Friday. "It's not my work."
The Carolina Hurricanes' rookie defender isn't one for pugilism. He's never even taken boxing lessons or anything of that nature.
More so, he's just a student of the game and the aspects of hockey that actually matter.
That's why he's an immensely talented blueliner with great vision, strong skating and one of the hardest shots in the league, because that's what actually lends itself to winning games.
It's true that Nikishin can be a bruiser if he so wishes, but it's just that he prefers to do that with his well-timed and bone crushing body checks rather than with his fists.
That's what he did in the first place when Moore challenged him, as the fight all stemmed from a big, clean hit he had laid just moments before on Nick Lardis.
"He wanted to fight," Nikishin said. "He tell me he needed to fight. I told him, '...okay.'"
This wasn't the first time that Nikishin has been challenged to a fight this season, as his booming hits have drawn the ire of opponents on a few different occasions, but the big Russian decided he'd finally oblige someone and perhaps send a message out that he's not one to be messed with.
"I don't want it," Nikishin said. "It's a long time to sit in the box. I don't like it. But first time, why not."
And, again, why not. Hockey is a sport that can get emotional and fighting has been a part of it since the beginning.
But Nikishin's way more valuable to his team when he's playing rather than when he's in the box and he knows that, even if the fans might like to see him drop a guy every now and then.
"He can obviously handle himself if need be," said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour. "We don't necessarily want to see him doing that a lot, but obviously he can handle himself. Good to see."
But don't get it twisted.
While he may not like fighting, he's definitely not afraid to stand up for himself or a teammate either.
Nikishin's nearly dropped the mitts before going after guys who have ran teammates this season and he has a few fights from his time in Russia under his belt as well.
The young man was a captain in the KHL for a reason. He's got heart and isn't one to be pushed around.
Just don't expect to see the fisticuffs side of him too often.
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