If you are going to belligerently pick a fight with someone on a golf course, it is typically advisable to make sure that person is not a former NHL enforcer. Because then you might have a bad time.
Video of a rather one-sided fight at Alberta Springs Golf Resort went viral on Tuesday, and it was later confirmed that one of its participants was former NHL player Nick Tarnasky. The 40-year-old Tarnasky played five seasons in the NHL for three different teams.
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The video shows Tarnasky’s group arguing with a pair of apparently drunk men about pace of play. Some harsh words — “You’re not that tough,” “Pick your s*** up and get going” — leads to one of the men repeatedly yelling “F***ing cry about it” at Tarnasky and challenging him.
The man shoves Tarnasky, who proceeds to throw him into a water hazard (comment from one observer: “Off to a good start, buddy”). The man emerges from the lake and approaches Tarnasky again, at which point Tarnasky grabs him by the shirt collar NHL fight-style and punches him twice in the face, yelling “Bang” after each hit. The other man steps in and tries to push Tarnasky away, but gets shoved aside.
Undeterred, despite another heckle of “I wouldn’t keep coming back you f***ing moron,” the man challenges Tarnasky again and receives three more “Bangs!” Tarnasky yells “Enough!” at him, but he gets up, runs at Tarnasky again and gets thrown a good 10 feet away.
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Finally, the man’s friend manages to get him to walk away, while Tarnasky yells “I asked him to f***ing get moving, I said stop looking like an idiot.”
A decade and a half removed from his last NHL game, Tarnasky currently works as the under-17 coach for Red Deer Minor Hockey in Alberta. Via the Canadian Press, the team released a statement acknowledging the video and saying it is conducting an internal investigation into the incident:
“We are aware of a video circulating on social media involving a coach with Red Deer Minor Hockey,” the organization said in a statement. “At this time, given that we understand the matter is being reviewed by local policing authorities and we are conducting our own internal investigation into the alleged incident, we will have no further comments.”
While the team said the matter is being reviewed by local authorities, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said it’s not investigating the incident. Officers reportedly received a third-party report about the fight, but the complainant left before police arrived:
“It was essentially a report of a fight and an intoxicated individual,” Savinkoff said.
“Nobody came forward to us alleging an assault or anything like that, and our investigation was concluded.”
Tarnasky was listed at 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds in his playing days and was announced to be remaining with Red Deer two months ago. You can see some of his previous work here, from when he was playing for the New York Rangers in preseason.
