A day later, fights resonate

By Damian Cristodero

March 5, 2000

DENVER -- The punches came so fast and furious, no one counted how many landed. Let's just say a lot.

When the Friday night fight was over, Tampa Bay's Kyle Freadrich and Chicago's Ryan Vandenbussche skated from a confrontation so vicious, Lightning coach Steve Ludzik said, "I don't think any players who saw it will ever forget it."

It was the main event during the Blackhawks' 5-1 victory at the United Center. A fight between Lightning goalie Dan Cloutier and Chicago goalie Steve Passmore was not as violent but just as interesting.

"An unbelievable fight," Lightning defenseman Pavel Kubina said of the Freadrich-Vandenbussche bout. "I've never seen anything like it in my life."

Freadrich, 6 feet 7, 255 pounds, lost two teeth, sustained a broken nose and needed three stitches over his right eye. Vandenbussche, 6 feet, 200, got five stitches in his left hand, a black left eye and various cuts and bruises on his face.

He said he took an antibiotic IV at the hospital to protect against infection.

The fight started at 3:27 of the first period.

"We just looked at each other," Vandenbussche said. "I gave him a little stick. He looked at me. We knew what we were doing."

"Just two tough guys who wanted to get the guys going," Freadrich said.

There was no defense. Fists pumped like pistons. Freadrich landed such a brutal punch to Vandenbussche's face, the crowd went "oooh."

"I hit him square and he didn't go down," Freadrich said. "I didn't know what to do, so I just tied up. I was amazed he didn't go down."

Freadrich smiled Saturday as he recounted the episode before Tampa Bay's game with the Avalanche at the Pepsi Center, and moved his nose bone around to prove it was broken.

"All my buddies back in Canada were watching," Freadrich said. "I just wish I could have knocked him down at the end."

Cloutier said his bout with Passmore settled a score from the 1997-98 season, when Cloutier played for Binghamton of the AHL and Passmore for Hamilton.

Cloutier said Passmore sucker-punched him as Cloutier's fight with another Hamilton player was being broken up. That's why Cloutier punched Passmore over the shoulder of referee Stephen Walkom as they were being separated.

"If it was anybody else, I wouldn't have given the extra shot," said Cloutier, who was tossed from the game.

The fight began at 18:11 of the second period after a scuffle along the boards in the Lightning zone. Cloutier said he was going to the aid of a teammate who was knocked down. When he saw the teammate was all right and noticed Passmore at his own blue line, "I headed over there."

Cloutier said the episode is over.

"It's even," he said.

© St. Petersburg Times