Nathan MacKinnon got in another fight, briefly left the ice with a bloody face

Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon isn’t messing around early in the season.

Not only does MacKinnon have 12 points through six games, he now has two fights under his belt as well.

MacKinnon threw down in the opener against the Kings, winning his battle easily. And then on Tuesday night he dropped the gloves with Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz.

Nathan MacKinnon and Roope Hintz dropped the gloves 😳

MacKinnon went to the locker room to treat an open cut. pic.twitter.com/3ThJYjFHE2

— ESPN (@espn) October 14, 2026

Nathan MacKinnon cut his nose last week against the Winnipeg Jets and his fight with Hintz opened it back up. He temporarily left the ice with blood all over his face, but returned shortly thereafter.

“My visor cut me,” MacKinnon told reporters postgame in Dallas. “He definitely got me a couple times though too. Big guy and definitely got me with a couple good punches too.”

The former Hart Trophy winner also added that the way he grew up in the Maritimes (a region in Eastern Canada) is “pretty gritty” and that “getting punched isn’t that fun, but the guys seem to like it, so maybe I’ll do it a couple more times.”

On one hand, it’s great to see a feisty Nathan MacKinnon to open the Avalanche season. It’s a long journey between now and the playoffs, but he’s taking the hockey in October seriously.

But he’s also the best player on the team and arguably the top guy in the NHL. If he were to get hurt fighting, it’d damage Colorado’s chances in any contests he had to miss. It’s a fine line, although MacKinnon sounds like a guy who’ll be willing to do it again.

Meanwhile, the Avalanche earned a 3-2 win over the rival Stars. Martin Necas scored twice and Mackenzie Blackwood bounced back after a rough outing against Toronto with 24 saves, including some high level and clutch ones down the stretch.

Colorado and Dallas will do battle again on Wednesday night at Ball Arena, so we’ll have to see if Nathan MacKinnon hunts his third fight of the young year.

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