Kassian's desire to drop the gloves has not changed, despite scary recent injury

In the Oilers' second-last pre-season game against Vancouver on October 7th, Zack Kassian engaged in a fight with Canucks forward Zack MacEwen. Kassian's helmet came off during the scrap, and he fell to the ice and hit his head. He laid unconscious on the ice for a few seconds, before being helped up.

"I remember everything until I hit the ice," Kassian said on Friday. "I remember falling, and having that ‘Uh, oh,' moment. Then I remember coming to, with a lot of people around me. Scary incident. Fluky, but stuff like that happens."

He added, «I came to pretty quickly after the incident. Done multiple tests and everything has come back positive. I'm cleared to play.»

Despite the injury, Kassian is not ready to give up on fighting, and he knows the potential risks that come with it. He also belives that fighting has a place in the game.


"Me, personally, I think (fighting) should always be in the game," he said. "Staged fighting? I don't think there's a place for that. But the flare-ups, standing up for your teammates It's an emotional game, and there are going to be some fights here and there. That's what makes hockey unique."

The Windsor, Ontario native missed Edmonton's season opener on Wednesday against the Canucks, but medical staff have given him the green light to return for tonight's 'Battle of Alberta' on Hockey Night in Canada. Puck drop is set for 10pm ET on CBC and Sportsnet.

One day, fighting will be extinct in the NHL, and Zack Kassian is intimately familiar with why. But, until then, the young father living out his dream has no plans to stop dropping the gloves three or four times a season — on his terms. (@SportsnetSpec)https://t.co/ZKTznALAx2— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 16, 2021