Fists were flying for the Nashville Predators [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators]during the 2024-25 season, as it led the league in fights for the second time in four seasons. They dropped the gloves 37 times, which accounted for nearly a quarter (23%) of their total 784 penalty minutes, ranking fifth in the league. Fights in the league have decreased over the last four seasons, with there being 640 fights during the 2021-22 season and 563 fights being logged for the 2024-25 season. However, Nashville's numbers have only risen in that time frame. The team took a slight dip during the 2022-23 season, going from 59 fights the year prior to 39, but has seen a continuous rise since then. The Predators have also led the league in three out of the last four seasons in percentage of penalty minutes dedicated to fights. Nashville's biggest perpetrators were Michael McCarron [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/players/5-nashville-predators-that-have-most-to-prove-for-2025-26-season](nine), Cole Smith (six) and Luke Schenn (five), all of whom had at least five fights and combined for 19 out of the Predators' 37 fights. McCarron led the way with nine fights and, after five seasons, is now ranked sixth all-time in the Predators franchise fight leader list with 27 total tilts. He is one fight behind Richard Clune for fifth all time. McCarron also led the Predators in penalty minutes this season with 102. His logged total also ranked eighth among all players across the league. Jordan Tootoo owns the Predators' all-time fight record, dropping the gloves 61 times over his eight years in Nashville. While Schenn is gone, traded to the Winnipeg Jets in March [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-news/trade-penguins-flip-luke-schenn-to-winnipeg-following-trade-with-predators], McCarron and Smith are expected to return this fall. Zach L'Heureux and Andreas Englund, who both had four fights, are expected to return. Potentially adding to that total, newly acquired defenseman Nic Hague [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-news/newly-signed-nashville-predators-defenseman-nic-hague-wants-to-add-offensive-depth-to-own-game]had four of the Vegas Golden Knights' 15 fights last season and is tied for second in franchise history for the most fights, with nine. When it came to who the Predators squared off with the most last season, Minnesota (six), San Jose (five), St. Louis (five) and Chicago (four) made up the top four. A Jan. 18 game in Minnesota [https://youtu.be/U5c6Ym6TpLM?si=xRLx4rSxIAnSEDLj] and Jan. 23 game in San Jose [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnaRdwKnYtY] both saw three fights breakout in each. Patrick Maroon, who retired at the end of this season after 17 seasons in the NHL, has fought Predators players 11 times over his entire career, which included two tilts on different occasions with McCarron.
