Brandt Clarke and Nathan MacKinnon’s fight explained: what sparked it

Nathan MacKinnon said he initiated a fight with Brandt Clarke because he objected to a word the Los Angeles Kings defenseman used during Colorado’s 8–4 season-opening win at Ball Arena in Denver on September 30. The encounter, now featured in sports coverage and fight clips, came with Colorado leading by just two goals.

“He didn’t say a great word to me, so I didn’t like the word and we fought,” MacKinnon said in the Avalanche’s account. He did not identify the word. His explanation provides his side of the exchange; it does not establish exactly what Clarke said.

Why MacKinnon said he fought Brandt Clarke

In the Avalanche’s official recap, MacKinnon said he started the fight and described the game as intense. Denver Sports reporter Will Petersen independently reported that MacKinnon invited Clarke to square off and Clarke accepted.

MacKinnon also praised the opponent he had just fought. “He plays hard,” he said of Clarke. “He gets under guys’ skin. He’s a really good defenseman. But, sometimes when you play like that, you have to fight sometimes. He’s a good player though. He plays hard.”

Where the fight clip is circulating

Sportsnet published a one-minute, four-second clip dated October 1 showing the encounter. Its accompanying description says both players received five-minute penalties in the third period. Petersen’s Denver Sports report also embedded a fight clip and a separate postgame clip of MacKinnon discussing what happened.

Those reports document where readers can find the incident and MacKinnon’s explanation. They do not establish how many people watched the clips or a measured social-media ranking. The available coverage supports describing a widely reportable moment without assigning an audience figure.

There was also an on-record reaction from Colorado teammate Cale Makar. Petersen reported that Makar compared an angry MacKinnon to the Hulk, complimented his fighting technique and said he would not want to fight him. That reaction came from MacKinnon’s teammate, rather than from Clarke or the Kings.

The score was 6–4 when the fight happened

The final score leaves out an important part of the clip’s context: Los Angeles was still within two goals when the players fought. Artemi Panarin had scored during a delayed penalty at 11:51 of the third period, reducing Colorado’s lead to 6–4.

The Avalanche recap places the fight at 13:20 of the third period. That left six minutes and 40 seconds in regulation, with the Kings having narrowed the deficit less than two minutes earlier. Colorado’s eventual four-goal winning margin had not yet been established.

Gabriel Landeskog scored at 14:03, just 43 seconds of game time after the fight, to put Colorado ahead 7–4. The Avalanche captain finished with a backhand from near the left goal line after the puck came off the end boards.

Artturi Lehkonen then scored on the power play at 15:06 to make it 8–4. Those goals followed the fight, but the scoring sequence alone does not establish that the encounter caused Colorado’s late goals.

MacKinnon had already scored twice

Before the gloves came off, MacKinnon had supplied two goals in Colorado’s four-goal second period. His first came just 23 seconds into the period on a five-on-three power play, extending the Avalanche’s lead to 3–1.

His second made it 4–2 at 8:33. Martin Necas delivered a backhand drop pass, and MacKinnon finished the rush with a wrist shot from the left circle. Nicolas Roy and Lehkonen scored Colorado’s other two goals in that period.

The Associated Press identified MacKinnon as the 2024 league MVP and reported that he had scored a career-high 53 goals the previous season. Against Los Angeles, he shared the scoring lead with Lehkonen, whose two goals both came on the power play. Brock Nelson added a goal and two assists.

Colorado converted four of five power plays and killed all four Kings power plays. Los Angeles still found a way to score twice while shorthanded, through Joel Armia and Trevor Moore. The Avalanche said their eight goals set a franchise record for a season opener, with 13 players recording a point.

When Colorado and Los Angeles play next

Colorado’s next scheduled game is at home against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, October 3, at 7 p.m. MDT. The Kings are scheduled to visit the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.