Bear Knuckle Bouts: Shawn Thornton, Flyer Jody Shelley Exchange Blows in December

by NESN Staff on Mon, Aug 15, 2011 at 8:19AM

Editor’s note: Every day leading up to the start of the 2011-12 season, NESN.com will post one fight from the 2010-11 Bruins season. At the end of each week, fans can vote for what they thought was the best fight of the week, and after every fight has been posted, they can vote on which fight was the best of the year.

In a matchup of two players who have never been known to shy away from a fight, Shawn Thornton threw down with Philadelphia’s Jody Shelley on Dec. 1 in what would be the first of two fights between the two during the 2010-11 season.

After Shelley threw a late elbow at Thornton in the first period of a 3-0 Bruins win, Thornton took exception.

Shelley landed a few hard right hooks — including one or two to the back of Thornton’s head — but Thornton fought back, knocking the Flyers winger’s helmet over his eyes with jabs straight to the nose before the referees intervened.

Check out the fight above, then rate it below.

How would you rate the Shawn Thornton-Jody Shelley fight?