Canucks' Podkolzin drops gloves with Oilers top prospect in AHL fight
The rivalry between the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers seems to extend down to the AHL as well.
The Abbotsford Canucks were in California on Saturday to take on the Bakersfield Condors in what has become a heated rivalry down in the AHL. The game was chippy as can be and it resulted in a few heavyweight bouts.
Chief among those fights was one between former Canucks first-round pick Vasily Podkolzin and Oilers top prospect Raphael Lavoie.
Ice rink or boxing ring? The Condors are bringing the heat, and this is only the start.
Lavoie with the 2nd fight of the night š„#CondorsTown pic.twitter.com/ipwrFs5TLJ
— Bakersfield Condors (@Condors) January 28, 2024
On paper, it was a bit of a size mismatch for the Russian prospect. Though Podkolzin isn’t small, standing at 6’1″ and 190lbs, Lavoie is much bigger at 6’4″ and 216lbs. Despite being the smaller fighter, Podkolzin more than held his own, landing a few left-handers and one right-hand punch that knocked off Lavoie’s helmet.
Podkolzin is not known to drop the gloves often. According to Hockeyfights.com, the 22-year-old has been in just four fights in his professional career. Last night marked just the second time he has dropped the gloves since coming to North America.
Lavoie, on the other hand, has slightly more experience with seven fights recorded since his junior days playing for the Halifax Mooseheads.
It hasn’t been quite the season that Podkolzin or the Canucks have wanted for the prospect. After being selected 10th overall in 2019, the Russian scorer has struggled to stay in the NHL, appearing in 118 games with the Canucks and scoring just 38 points.
He has spent the entirety of the season playing in Abbotsford and has been among their most productive players so far, scoring 13 goals and 25 points in 33 games. Considering how well the Canucks have been playing this season, it’s unlikely Podkolzin will get much of a chance unless an injury opens up a spot in the lineup.
The fight must have helped his team as Abbotsford was able to outlast the Condors with a tight 3-2 victory to improve to 22-13-5 on the season.
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