The Punch-up in Piestany was a bench-clearing brawl between Canada and the Soviet Union during the final game of the 1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Piešťany, Czechoslovakia on January 4, 1987. The incident resulted in the ejection of both teams, and while the Soviets had already been eliminated from medal contention, the disqualification cost Canada a medal – potentially the gold. The brawl is famous for officials having turned off the arena lights in a desperate attempt to end the 20-minute melee. Much of the blame was placed on Norwegian referee Hans Rønning, who had been selected for the game based on his perceived neutrality rather than experience.
Punch-up in Piestany
The scoreboard in the darkened arena showing Canada leading 4–2
A bench-clearing brawl is a form of fighting that occurs in sports, most notably baseball and ice hockey, in which most or all players on both teams leave their dugouts, bullpens, or benches, and charge onto the playing area in order to fight one another or try to break up a fight. Penalties for leaving the bench can range from nothing to severe.
This bench-clearing brawl at Fenway Park in June 2008 began with Boston Red Sox batter Coco Crisp being hit by a pitch from James Shields of the Tampa Bay Rays.
This bench-clearing incident between the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners in May 2008 followed a Seattle batter charging the mound.
Shawn Thornton fighting Wade Brookbank