NHL media personality Paul Bissonnette attacked in Scottsdale bar fight

“Crazy night, still kinda trying to process it all.”

Former NHL player and current television and media personality Paul Bissonnette was assaulted in a restaurant called Houston’s in Scottsdale Sunday. Bissonnette played in 202 NHL games for the Phoenix Coyotes and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

On Spittin’ Chiclets, Bissonnette recounted the story of how a group of intoxicated patrons were causing problems for the restaurant staff. He detailed how the group of “about nine” were escalating conflict with the manager and assistant manager.

“So, after watching this for about fifteen seconds of him getting in [the assistant manager’s] face… I get up and go over. I walk over, I grab the guy’s arm, and I say ‘listen, buddy, if you keep harassing and assaulting the staff here, we’re going to go outside and we’re going to have some problems.’ The minute that left my mouth, the guy beside him starts throwing punches, and then the next thing you know, there were about four guys swinging at me.”

The fight continued through the restaurant until Bissonnette was able to exit out the door. “We’re all of a sudden now in the parking lot, and they keep coming… they get me down, they’re throwing punches, I’m able to get back up, I lose my shoe. I’m taking some, and I’m giving some.”

The fight moved across the parking lot towards a CVS in the same shopping center. “I made my way around the dumpster at the CVS, and four of them got me. They got me on the ground… I ate three kicks, one in the neck, two in the head, was able to get up.” Bissonnette ran into the CVS, and his group of attackers didn’t follow him. 

Authorities had been alerted during the confrontation in Houston’s, and they were able to detain five of Bissonnette’s assailants when they arrived on the scene. Bissonnette estimated that the entire ordeal lasted around three and a half minutes. He was taken to the hospital afterwards, but was not seriously injured.

“Maybe I felt more of a connection because I go to this Houston’s restaurant three or four times a week, and these people are always so kind to me, so I felt the need to step in… maybe I bit off a little bit more than I could chew, but I wouldn’t change one thing about what I ended up doing.”