NHL

A Tampa Bay Lightning fan was sucker-punched in the jaw following an argument at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night ... and the blow was so violent, it knocked the man out cold.

The incident happened at around 10:50 PM, some minutes after the Rangers had lost to the Lightning at the famous venue.

According to the NYPD, a witness says the two men in the video were involved in a verbal dispute ... before the man in the red shirt reared back and threw his fist at the Lightning fan's face.

In the footage, captured by a bystander, you can see the punch landed flush -- and knocked the Tampa Bay supporter out cold.

Cops say a witness told them the puncher then attempted to flee the scene. When a witness tried to stop him, the suspect allegedly punched the witness in the face too.

Eventually, police arrived on the scene and arrested the puncher, who they ID'ed as 29-year-old James Anastasio. Cops say he was booked on multiple charges of assault, disorderly conduct and harassment.

The Lightning fan who was KO'd, meanwhile, reportedly woke up several minutes following the punch ... and is in stable condition.

Jimmy Fallon did his best Joey Chestnut impression during last night's Rangers playoff game in NYC  ... the late-night talk show host dunked his hot dog -- bun and all -- in his beer before devouring both, and spilling everywhere!

'The Tonight Show' host was in the building for game 5 of the Conference Finals game between the NYR and Tampa Bay Lightning ... when Fallon found himself on the big screen at Madison Square Garden, hot dog and beer in hand.

Fallon, a NY native, has clearly seen a Nathan's hot dog eating competition or two in his time ... Jimmy softened up the bun using his brew, before it all went down the hatch.

Of course, if you've watched competitive eating, you know that's the preferred method for eating quickly.

FYI, Chestnut's record is 76 hot dogs/buns in 10 minutes. He routinely puts away over 70.

For Rangers fans, the antics off the ice were far more entertaining ... the team lost game 5 by a score of 3-1, and now trails in the series, 3-2. And, now the team must go on the road to Tampa ... where NY is 0-2 this series.

It's reminiscent of the New York Knicks fan a few years back who was captured on camera dunking chicken nuggets into her soda.

"Hot Boy" rapper Bobby Shmurda was ice-cold to a Tampa Bay Lightning supporter during the New York Rangers game on Wednesday -- trollin' the fan by waving an NYR towel right in his face!

The hilarious moment happened during Shmurda's epic night at Madison Square Garden -- when the Brooklyn rapper was in the stands cheering his face off for the Rangers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Video shows Shmurda was gettin' his dance on ... and then he turned to a TB fan sittin' right behind him, and waved a "No Quit in New York" Rangers' towel in the guy's grill.

To his credit, the fan took the trollin' in stride -- responding with nothing more than a thumbs down.

Bobby had a hell of a night during the game in between going crazy for big plays -- taking a bunch of photos with fans both inside and outside of the venue.

TMZ Sports has learned this was Bobby's first-ever hockey game ... and he attended it after getting invited by Icy Ventures -- a talent management company (founded by Josh Stone and his brother Troy Stone as well as NHL agent John Osei-Tutu) whose focus is to bring hip-hop culture to the sport.

"Bobby’s energy could not be contained," Troy told us of Shmurda's night. "Fans were shocked to see such a high-profile rap artist in the building for a Ranger game."

"Bobby was so excited he started taunting the opposing team’s fans, which lead to a viral moment which the NHL has desperately needed."

Troy added, "The experience for Bobby couldn’t have gone better as he saw the Rangers win and got to witness a real NHL fight.”

Jaromir Jagr -- one of the best NHL players ever -- says he's fortunate to be alive today ... after his car collided with a tram at a high rate of speed.

The Pittsburgh Penguins legend explained the terrifying accident in a post on his social media page Wednesday ... saying it was all his fault.

In his post, which was written in Czech, Jagr said he was trying to cross the road, and ultimately didn't see a tram that was coming at him at "high speed."

"I thought it was my end," the 50-year-old said.

In a photo of his car following the accident, you can see the tram hit Jagr's driver's side door -- leaving a huge dent. The hockey player, though, said he somehow escaped just fine.

"I climbed out without injury," he said.

According to Czech news website iSport.cz, authorities said Jagr's alcohol tests were negative.

"I thank everyone for their understanding," Jagr said, "and also for the help to those who intervened on the spot."

The Colorado Avalanche say they are working with police ... after one of their star players, Nazem Kadri, allegedly received racist messages and threats following a controversial play on the ice this weekend.

Kadri was involved in a collision with St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington in Game 3 of their playoff series on Saturday.

The on-ice clash ended up injuring Binnington and will force the goalie to miss the rest of the series against the Avs.

A short time after the play, hockey player Akim Aliu -- who's a part of the Hockey Diversity Alliance with Kadri -- claimed the Colorado center, who's Muslim, told him he had been the subject of "so many racist attacks and threats since last night."

Aliu claimed the threats were so bad, police were involved ... and in a statement on Sunday, the Avs confirmed they have been in contact with cops over it all.

"The Avalanche organization is aware of threats made toward Nazem Kadri and is working with local law enforcement to investigate," the team said.

Aliu added, "Racist attacks like this have no place in hockey and should be investigated and reported on."

Kadri had said after the game there was no intent to hurt Binnington, claiming "their defenseman kind of collided with me and pushed me into him. So, had that not been the case, I don't think I would have hit him at all."

Kadri added that he believed Binnington threw a water bottle at him while he was doing a postgame interview.

The NHL has not handed down punishment for any player involved in the play.

Wayne Gretzky's Edmonton Oilers jersey from the 1988 Stanley Cup-clinching game -- the Great One's last championship -- just hit the auction block ... and it could be the most expensive piece of hockey memorabilia ever sold.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the #99 jersey Gretzky rocked during the title-deciding game against the Boston Bruins is currently on the block at Grey Flannel Auctions ... and already has a bid over $400K!!

The craziest part ... there are still 18+ days left in the auction, and bidding doesn't typically heat up until the final day. In other words, this jersey is going to sell for an insane amount of money.

Wayne wore the iconic threads as he hoisted the best trophy in sports after leading his squad to a sweep over Boston in 5 games.

Yes, a sweep in 5 ... in a best of 7 series.

Gretzky and the Oilers had a chance to close out the Bruins in Game 4 ... that is, until the power went out with about 3 minutes remaining in the 2nd period of the potential series-clinching game.

NHL and team officials conferred, and ultimately decided to essentially throw out game 4 ... and just play game 5 two days later.

The Great One -- the NHL's all-time leading scorer -- lived up to his name during the 5th game ... finishing the game with 1 goal and 2 assists.

The jersey is a huge deal because it was the last time Gretzky ever donned an Oilers uniform ... as he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings a few months after winning the Cup -- in a shocking deal.

GFA tells us the jersey, a Nike size "XL," is covered in champagne stains from the boozy locker room celebration. The jersey also shows puck marks and loose threads.

The front features the Oilers team logo -- along with a "C" patch for captain -- located on the upper left chest area of the jersey.

The back of the uniform has Gretzky's name in blue tackle twill on a white nameplate, along with his iconic number 99 ... which has since been retired leaguewide.

GFA says the jersey was authenticated using photo-matching to ensure it's authentic.

Gretzky, who broke into the NHL in 1979, won the Stanley Cup 4 times and the Conn Smythe award twice, given to the most valuable player during the playoffs.

Horrifying situation for NHL star Mitch Marner on Monday night ... the Maple Leafs forward was carjacked at gunpoint by multiple people in Toronto.

The Toronto Police Service tells TMZ Sports the incident went down at around 7:46 PM ... when three suspects -- two with handguns and one with a knife -- approached a black Range Rover.

The TPS does not name victims of crimes ... but Marner, according to multiple reports, was driving the Range Rover at the time.

Cops say the three suspects ended up jacking the vehicle -- and fled in it. Police said they're now searching the area.

Thankfully, cops added, there were no injuries in the incident.

According to the Toronto Sun -- which first reported the news -- Marner was "shaken up" on the scene, but was otherwise unharmed. He's expected to meet with media members on Tuesday.

If the top part of the Yankees' batting order looks a little sluggish tonight ... now ya know why!

New York stars Aaron Judge, Anthony Rizzo and DJ LeMahieu all attended the Rangers' playoff game against the Penguins on Thursday night -- and they were feelin' so good in their seats, they chugged beers together!!

The trio had on-the-glass spots for Game 2 of the Pittsburgh vs. NY series -- and when the Madison Square Garden cameras spotted them ... they pounded their drinks to get the crowd going.

None of the three were Tom Brady-level chuggers ... but it seems clear Rizzo won the drink-off.

As for how the beer-pounding played at MSG -- it seemed to fire up both Rangers fans and the actual team ... 'cause NY went on to score three more goals after the scene, winning the game 5-2.

But, don't fret about a potential hangover, Pinstripes fans, Yankees aren't slated to play the Texas Rangers on Friday night until 7 PM ET.

A huge brawl erupted during the Lightning vs. Maple Leafs playoff game on Monday night ... and things got so violent during the melee, a Tampa Bay player left the ice a bloody mess.

The crazy scene all went down in the third period of Toronto's blowout win ... when a bunch of Lightning players took issue with Wayne Simmonds' hit on Jan Rutta.

Broadcast footage of the game showed Tampa Bay players were so upset with Simmonds, they tried to coax him into a scrap.

But, Simmonds didn't appear to want any of it ... and things seemed to calm down.

However, during an ensuing commercial break -- everyone on the ice got after each other, with haymakers being thrown left and right all over.

Rutta appeared to get the worst of it -- catching one punch so flush in the face, it opened up a huge gash on his forehead.

Rutta left the ice with blood all over his hand, head and jersey.

Adding insult to injury, the Lightning weren't able to score a goal following the fracas -- and lost 5-0.

The Lightning won't have to wait long to try to get revenge ... Game 2 of the series is set for Wednesday night. Getcha popcorn ready.

Dustin Johnson and Paulina Gretzky had a self-proclaimed "American Bad Ass" at their wedding this weekend ... with none other than Kid Rock taking the stage to perform for the newlyweds.

DJ and the hockey legend's daughter tied the knot at a lavish event at Blackberry Farm resort in Tennessee on Saturday ... and Paulina shared a short video of the reception, which featured the controversial singer.

"You are the joy of my life @djohnsonpga," Gretzky said on Instagram. "Thank you @kidrock."

Now, KR has a history of being unapologetically himself on the mic -- dropping homophobic slurs and going after Oprah Winfrey in the past.

His performance over the weekend seemed to be free of controversy ... as Rock sang a cover of Chris Stapleton's "Joy of My Life."

The musical act might not be as random as you think -- Rock is tight with DJ and Wayne ... and they've hit the links together over the years.

NHL legend Guy Lafleur -- a Hockey Hall of Famer and five-time Stanley Cup winner -- has died at 70 years old, his sister announced.

The former Montreal Canadiens forward passed away on Friday after battling a myriad of health issues, including lung cancer.

"Guy I love you," Lafleur's sister wrote in a heartbreaking post on social media Friday morning. "You are done suffering we will miss you greatly."

Guy is considered one the greatest hockey players ever -- after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1971 draft, Lafleur went on to star for the Canadiens for 14 years.

He made six All-Star teams with Montreal, tallied 518 goals and 728 assists, and helped the Canadiens hoist the Cup five times in the 70s. Lafleur also became the first player ever to score 50 or more goals in six straight seasons in his Canadiens tenure.

"We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Guy Lafleur," Canadiens president Geoff Molson said. "All members of the Canadiens organization are devastated by his passing. Guy Lafleur had an exceptional career and always remained simple, accessible, and close to the Habs and hockey fans in Quebec, Canada and around the world."

Molson continued, "Throughout his career, he allowed us to experience great moments of collective pride. He was one of the greatest players in our organization while becoming an extraordinary ambassador for our sport."

Lafleur retired following the 1985 season and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame three years later. He eventually came out of retirement to play for the New York Rangers and the Quebec Nordiques following his induction, before leaving the game for good in 1991.

Two famous Seattle ballers in Macklemore and Marshawn Lynch are now biz partners ... in a completely new field for both of them.

On Monday, the NHL announced the rapper and ex-NFL great are both minority owners of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, the league's newest franchise.

Mack, a 4x Grammy Award winner, and Beast Mode, a Super Bowl champ and 5x Pro Bowler ... are almost getting in on the ground floor -- this is the Kraken's first season on the ice.

Team CEO Tod Leiweke admitted he was initially taken aback when the guys approached the team last summer, but their missions to uplift the Seattle community proved to be an invaluable addition to the organization.

Plus, Macklemore can always be a handy choice for pre or post game entertainment. The hometown hero says he has nostalgic ties to the team's arena.

Speaking of hometown, Macklemore will be using his association with the team to cross-brand with his Hip Hop-centric, youth development program, The Residency, to continue to foster kids in the area.

A Toronto Maple Leafs fan ruthlessly pummeled another man -- raining punches down from the full mount position -- in one of the most violent fan fights ever, and the altercation was captured on video.

The fight allegedly went down during Thursday's Maple Leafs game against the Washington Capitals game at Scotiabank Arena in Canada.

The man on top delivers at least two punches to the face ... appearing to break the man's eyeglasses, while other fans attempt to stop the violence.

It's unclear why the fight started, but, the man doling out the beating is heard saying something about the man touching a woman inappropriately, yelling "you can't touch a girl like that."

FYI, the guy getting beat up is never seen on video doing anything out of line to a woman.

The man was also heard saying "I will f***ing kill you!" and "I'm not a fighter, but don't f***ing touch me!"

You wouldn't know the guy doesn't fight. He got himself into one of the most dominant positions in MMA -- full mount.

"Full mount" is a dominant grappling position where one opponent sits on top of another's torso. It allows the person in the superior position to attack with a flurry of big punches, effectively leaving the person on the bottom defenseless.

Peace was eventually restored, and the guy who received the punches was helped to his feet ... face bloodied, appearing dazed and wobbly.

We reached out to police in Toronto, the arena, and the Maple Leafs organization. So far, no word back from anyone.

Sad news in the hockey world ... New York Islander legend and Hall of Famer Mike Bossy has passed away after battling lung cancer.

He was only 65.

The right winger -- who's the all-time leader in average goals scored per regular season -- announced his diagnosis last October on TVA Sports, a Canadian network he worked for at the time.

"Today, it is with great sorrow that I have to withdraw from your screens, for an obligatory break," Bossy said.

"A necessary stop during which I will have to receive treatment for lung cancer."

"I can assure you that I intend to fight with all the determination and all the passion that you have seen me display on the ice and in my game."

Tragically, Bossy passed away on Friday.

Bossy's hockey career started in 1977 and he instantly became a scoring machine on skates. He was a key factor to Islanders' four consecutive championships in the early '80s ... and he was named MVP of the 1982 Stanley Cup.

He broke several franchise records during his 10 seasons with New York -- including all-time regular-season goal leader (573).

Bossy also won NHL rookie of the year in 1978, was inducted into the HOF in 1991. He was was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL players of all-time in 2017.

"The New York Islanders organization mourns the loss of Mike Bossy, an icon not only on Long Island but across the entire hockey world," Lou Lamoriello, the Islanders President of Hockey Operations, said hearing of Bossy's death.

"Along with his teammates, he helped win four straight Stanley Cup championships, shaping the history of this franchise forever."

Bossy is survived by his wife -- who he met at a snack bar rink and married in 1977 -- two daughters and two grandchildren.

Evander Kane is a single man again ... TMZ Sports has learned a judge just ruled he and Anna Kane are officially done.

Court docs show a Santa Clara County, CA judge made the ruling on Wednesday -- saying Evander is now single once more.

Evander and Anna married in 2018 and had a daughter together ... but their relationship soured a short time later -- and has recently gotten very ugly.

Anna filed for divorce from Evander in July 2021 -- and the two have accused each other of heinous things in separate court filings in the ensuing months.

Wednesday's ruling did not resolve any of the issues raised in the case other than their marital status. Alimony, child custody and other key issues in their divorce all will be figured out at a later date.

The ruling, though, did open the door for Evander and Mara Teigen's relationship to progress further.

As we reported, Evander linked back up with Mara following Anna's divorce filing ... and Mara announced a short time later she was pregnant with Evander's child.

Evander has made it no secret he's wildly in love with her -- saying "there's no one like you" in an Instagram post dedicated to her the day after Valentine's.

Justin Bieber might need a lesson in "know your audience" ... 'cause fans booed the hell out of the singer during his tour stop in Montreal on Tuesday for dissing the hometown Canadiens.

Bieber -- a MASSIVE fan of the Habs' hated rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs -- showed love for his team right before his final song of the night ... saying, "How about those Leafs though, huh?"

The "Ghost" crooner even gave a shoutout to his close buddy for scoring a goal against the Canadiens on Saturday ... saying, "Auston Matthews is really doing some work here in Montreal."

Of course, the Canadiens are hot garbage this season ... sitting at the very bottom of the standings with an 18-38 record, despite beating the Leafs over the weekend.

Biebs made sure to let the crowd know he was well aware of their struggles this season ... adding, "How's that playoff spot looking for you guys this year?" and "Maybe next year, maybe next year."

The fans weren't having it -- letting the boo birds fly and even shouting expletives as Bieber continued to diss the hometown team ... even starting a "Go Leafs, Go" chant.

The stunt comes one week after the Leafs debuted their Bieber-designed Drew House jerseys ... which they wore on the ice for their Next Gen game.

Bieber eventually got real and stopped the trolling ... saying Montreal is truly one of his favorite places to perform in the world.