The San Jose Sharks’ game against the New York Rangers on Thursday began with a bang in more ways than one.
Adam Gaudette and Macklin Celebrini both scored early first-period goals at Madison Square Garden, with Celebrini’s goal at the 6:17 mark giving the Sharks a 2-0 lead. Just before Celebrini’s goal, Sharks winger Ryan Reaves and Rangers forward Matt Rempe renewed acquaintances in a marquee fight between two of the NHL’s true heavyweights.
Reaves, listed at 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, landed at least two big right hands while Rempe, at 6-foot-9 and 261 pounds, used his longer reach to connect with a few left hands. Rempe ended the right with a few short rights from close range after he and Reaves came together.
Reaves came out of the fight unscathed, but Rempe had to retreat to the Rangers’ dressing room, and he did not come out for the start of the second period.
Rangers winger Taylor Raddysh scored his second of the season at the 14:19 mark of the first period, as his shot toward the net from long range appeared to glance off Sharks defenseman Vincent Desharnais before it got past goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, cutting San Jose’s lead to 2-1.
Celebrini got that goal back, scoring his second of the game with 8.1 seconds left before intermission off assists from Will Smith and William Eklund to give the Sharks a 3-1 lead in what was their best period of the season. The Sharks entered Thursday with a 0-4-2 record, as they remained the NHL’s last winless team.
WE GOT A CENTER ICE TILT BETWEEN REMPE AND REAVES pic.twitter.com/KMZQkZjF3j
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 23, 2025
Gaudette’s goal just 1:58 into the first period came off a pretty passing sequence, with Collin Graf and Michael Misa collecting assists on a play that began below the Rangers’ goal line.
The Sharks lost defenseman Nick Leddy to an upper-body injury in the first period. Leddy was injured by a hit from Rangers forward Will Cuylle behind the Sharks’ net at the 3:12 mark and was ruled out before the start of the second period.
Reaves and Rempe are no strangers to one another. The two also fought on March 2, 2024, when Reaves was with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The fight was Reaves’ second this season and Rempe’s first. Reaves also fought Anaheim’s Ross Johnston on Oct. 11.
