Former Rangers defenseman Stu Bickel talks about 2012-line brawl

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Ryan Hall
April 10, 2024 (1:00 PM)

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The rivalry between the Rangers and the devils continues to be a hot topic as the aftermath of the line brawl last week between both clubs has brought in retired players discussing the 2012 line brawl.

Former Rangers defenseman Stu Bickel sat down with Jim Cerny of Forever Blueshirts Podcast and talked about the giant fight that happened many years ago.

Bickel and Cerny go on to reminisce about the line brawl and how it all began with Bickel dropping the gloves against devils Ryan Carter.

Within seconds, the entire line dropped their gloves and complete bedlam broke out across MSG.

«That was the loudest I ever heard a building, as a player or coaching. It was crazy how loud it got immediately at that puck drop,» Bickel said on the Forever Blueshirts podcast. «[Ryan Carter] got a few in on me and I remember I got up and tagged him with a good one. It was a good fight.»

Bickel even discussed with teammates Mike Rupp and Brandon Prust on how to handle winning a faceoff as he had never done so before.

After �Torts' came in and read the linueps and said who they were starting (Carter, Cam Janssen and Eric Boulton) and that I was going to take the draw, I remember I went and talked to �Prusty' and �Rupper' and kind of sort out what was going on,» Bickel recalled. «What do I do on the draw? I had never really taken face-offs before and they're like �Don't worry about the face-off.' Me and �Carts' hadn't really talked about it (fighting) beforehand. So, right as we got up to the face-off I told him �we're going, right?' and he said �Yeah, absolutely.'

Bickel weighed in on Matt Rempe and what kind of enforcer and fighter he brings to the game.

He states he's a different class and has taken on some of the toughest fighters in the league which he felt he has a lot of respect for.