Former NHL tough guy Paul Bissonnette assaulted by seven men at Arizona restaurant
- Paul Bissonnette tried to break up a “fight” at a “family restaurant” on Sunday
Former NHL lefty Paul Bissonnette was attacked by a “bunch of drunk golfers” at a restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona, he has confirmed.
The incident took place on Sunday evening Fox 10 Phoenix reported that six men had been arrested and charged with assault and disorderly conduct.
Bissonnette, who last appeared in the NHL during the 2013-2014 season went to X to explain how his intervention in a ‘little ruckus’ resulted in a full-blown brawl.
The 39-year-old was at the Houston restaurant — a restaurant he said he visits several times a week — when one of the aforementioned golfers got in the manager’s face and put his hands on him, Bissonnette said in a video.
The ex-Phoenix Coyote then intervened, grabbed the man’s arm and told him they would be in trouble if he continued to harass the staff.
Paul Bissonnette showed a mark on his face that was the result of a fight with seven men
Bissonnete (right, seen in 2012) became known for fighting opponents in the NHL
He spent six years in the NHL, including five with the Phoenix Coyotes at left wing
Scottsdale police added to Fox 10 that Bissonnette “attempted to help management calm the men down and allow them to leave.”
From there, as he recalled in a three-minute video, things quickly escalated as seven men began fighting him in the restaurant and parking lot.
He added that six of the seven men had been arrested, although he did not specify why that was not the case.
Bissonnette – who was known as a “tough guy” in the NHL due to his frequent fights – said he “took some” but “gave more” and was doing well despite being “hit in the head” several times.
He added that he was “very angry” with the men and wanted their names made public.
Bissonnette, who shot to fame in his post-playing days with his Barstool Sports podcast “Spittin Chiclets,” also thanked police, paramedics and hospital staff for their responses that night.
In his NHL career, which lasted from 2008-2014 (he also appeared in the preseason for the Kings in 2016), he took part in 69 fights according to hockeyfights.com.
He became known as an enforcer, but has since become a hit as a pundit, also appearing as an analyst on TNT’s hockey coverage.