Jonathan Toews has first fight since 2013, drops gloves with Adam Henrique

Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews doesn't often pick a fight on the ice, but when his team needed a spark Friday night, he didn't hesitate. The centerman battled for just the fourth time in his career, against New Jersey Devils center Adam Henrique.

With the Blackhawks trailing the Devils 2-0 in the first period, Toews started pushing Henrique, first from behind and eventually once to the chest before the brawl really began. It appeared Toews won the bout, but the Blackhawks still went on to lose 4-2, their fifth consecutive loss on the road.

“Kind of a reaction thing,” Toews said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. “Usually, it’s not necessarily my thing, as we all know, to try and spark the team that way. I’d rather be on the ice making things happen in the offensive zone.”

The last player Toews tussled with was San Jose Sharks forward Joe Thornton on Feb. 15, 2013.

For his part, Henrique (per NHL.com) said of the fight, "I'll take that trade off any day; we responded pretty well too," referring to the goal the Devils scored less than a minute after the fight ended.

The Blackhawks now fall to 7-6-1 on the season, while the Devils sit at 7-5-1.

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