Former NHL tough guy Paul Bissonnette assaulted by seven men at Arizona restaurant
- Paul Bissonnette tried to break up a 'ruckus' at a 'family restaurant' on Sunday
Former NHL left wing Paul Bissonnette was assaulted by a 'bunch of drunk golfers' at a Scottsdale, Arizona restaurant, he has confirmed.
The incident occurred on Sunday night, with Fox 10 Phoenix reporting that six men had been arrested and charged with assault and disorderly conduct.
Bissonnette, who last appeared in the NHL during the 2013-14 season, then took to X to explain how him intervening in a 'bit of a ruckus' resulted in a full-on brawl.
The 39-year-old was at Houston’s restaurant - a restaurant which he says he visits several times a week, when one of the aforementioned golfers was getting in the manager's face and putting his hands on him, Bissonnette said in a video.
The ex-Phoenix Coyote then stepped in, grabbed the man's arm and told him they would have problems if he continued to harass the staff.
Paul Bissonnette showed off a mark on his face that came from him fighting with seven men
Bissonnete (right, seen in 2012) became known for fighting his opponents in the NHL
He spent six years in the NHL - five of which came with the Phoenix Coyotes at left wing
The Scottsdale Police Department added to Fox 10 that Bissonnette 'tried to help management calm the men and get them to leave.'
From there, as he recalled in a three-minute video, things escalated quickly as seven men began to fight him in the restaurant and into the parking lot.
He added that six of the seven men were arrested, though he did not specify why one wasn't.
Bissonnette - who was known as a 'tough guy' in the NHL due to his frequent fighting - said he 'took some' but 'gave more' and was OK despite getting 'boot f***ed in the head' on several occasions.
He showed off a couple of marks on his face in the video but he otherwise appeared to be unscathed.
He added that he was 'very, very angry' at the men and wanted their names to be made public.
Bissonnette, who has risen to fame in his post-playing days with his Barstool Sports 'Spittin Chiclets' podcast, also thanked police, paramedics and hospital staff for their responses on the night.
In his NHL career, which lasted from 2008-14 (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 on TNT's hockey coverage as an analyst.
