Tage Thompson Stefan Noesen fight Sabres Devils 2025: Thompson takes matters into his own hands

Buffalo Sabres star forward Tage Thompson delivered a personal message to New Jersey Devils forward Stefan Noesen on Friday night, and he did it with his fists. Just 2:24 into the first period of their matchup at KeyBank Center, Thompson dropped the gloves with Noesen to settle a score nearly 10 months in the making. The fight, which ignited the sold-out crowd and energized both benches, was Thompson’s answer to a dangerous elbow from Noesen last February that concussed the Sabres center and sparked questions about Buffalo’s team toughness.

The November 29, 2025, bout marked a rare instance of a team’s leading scorer seeking his own retribution rather than delegating enforcement duties to a teammate. Thompson, who leads the Sabres with 12 goals this season, turned down multiple offers from teammates who volunteered to fight Noesen on his behalf. The decision culminated in a 30-second scrap that showcased Thompson’s willingness to stand up for himself and addressed the lingering embarrassment from last season’s lackluster response to the initial hit.

When Tage Thompson chose to fight Stefan Noesen himself

The seeds of Friday’s confrontation were planted on February 2, 2024, when Noesen delivered a controversial elbow to Thompson’s head during a game in Buffalo. The hit sent the 6-foot-6 forward spinning, knocked his helmet off, and left him face-down on the ice with a concussion. Noesen received a match penalty and was ejected from the game, but the NHL declined to issue further discipline.

What troubled the Sabres organization even more than the hit itself was their own response—or lack thereof. As Thompson lay injured, no Buffalo players confronted Noesen or attempted to make him answer for his actions. The team held a meeting the following day to address the issue, and captain Rasmus Dahlin later called the situation “embarrassing.”

Fast forward to Friday’s rematch, and the Sabres had clearly learned their lesson. Multiple teammates offered to handle the matter for Thompson, but he had already made up his mind to take care of it himself.

The pregame agreement that set the stage

During pregame warmups, Thompson approached Noesen directly and asked for a fight. According to Thompson, Noesen agreed, telling him he would “give me one.” This honorable approach from both players—Thompson wanting to handle his own business and Noesen accepting the challenge—earned respect from both coaching staffs.

“I think we all know what happened last year,” Thompson said after the game. “I didn’t really like the hit and talked to him in warmups. I respect that.”

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff was unaware of the conversation but appreciated the professionalism both players showed. Devils coach Sheldon Keefe revealed that Noesen had informed him before puck drop that something might happen, saying his forward “is an honorable guy” who wanted his coach’s feedback.

What happened during the Thompson Noesen fight

The confrontation occurred at 2:25 of the first period when the two players lined up next to each other for a faceoff in the New Jersey zone. As soon as the puck dropped, so did the gloves. The sellout crowd of 19,070 at KeyBank Center roared as the two combatants squared off.

A one-sided affair with mutual respect

Despite giving up five inches in height to the 6-foot-6 Thompson, the 6-foot-1 Noesen stood his ground. Thompson landed several heavy blows, including what appeared to be the best punch of the exchange, before Noesen fell to the ice after about 30 seconds. Both players received five-minute major penalties for fighting.

Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin, speaking during the first intermission, praised his teammate’s performance.

“He’s a nail-gun. He’s not fun to fight against that’s for sure,” Dahlin said. “We talked about it before the game, he didn’t want anyone to do it. He wanted to do it himself. Hell of respect for that. That’s big.”

Even Devils forward Connor Brown, an offseason addition who was unfamiliar with the backstory, appreciated the spectacle from the opposing bench.

“I thought Nase did a great job against a much bigger guy. On our bench we felt the boost from that,” Brown said. “It was a good fight. It was fun to watch.”

The aftermath of the Sabres Devils fight 2025

While the fight energized the crowd and both benches early, it did little to change the game’s outcome. The Devils dominated the scoreboard, shutting out Buffalo 5-0 behind goaltender Jake Allen’s stellar performance. The Sabres outshot New Jersey 42-23 but could not solve Allen, who recorded his first shutout of the season.

Stats that tell the story

The final score may have been one-sided, but the underlying numbers revealed a more complex tale:

• Buffalo finished with a commanding 42-23 advantage in shots on goal
• The Sabres controlled play through the first two periods but couldn’t convert their chances
• New Jersey scored their first goal late in the first period on a fortunate bounce
• Four of the five goals against Buffalo came off turnovers or odd-man rushes
• Thompson’s fight marked just his sixth regular-season bout in his career

“I thought there was a lot of energy on the bench, and I thought our team was playing well,” Thompson said. “Whatever energy or momentum we did kind of have early in the game kind of got snuffed out by their goalie, who was playing a hell of a game.”

Coaching perspectives on handling the situation

Both head coaches expressed respect for how their players handled the situation. Ruff, a former Sabres captain during his playing days, praised Thompson’s initiative.

“I’ve got a ton of respect for that,” Ruff said. “That’s the guy that hit him, the fact he wanted to go after him I thought was great.”

Keefe, meanwhile, viewed the fight pragmatically from a game strategy perspective. When Noesen informed him of the potential conflict, the coach gave his blessing.

“I think the chance to get their best player off the ice, you’re gonna sign up all day,” Keefe said.

Team response evolution since the February incident

The February 2024 incident forced the Sabres to examine their team identity and response mechanisms. At the time, the lack of immediate retaliation was seen as a failure of team unity and toughness. Since then, Buffalo has made a concerted effort to address similar situations promptly.

How the Sabres learned from their mistakes

Following the original Noesen hit, the Sabres held a team meeting to discuss their lack of response. The message was clear: that could never happen again. Since then, the team has consistently answered the bell when teammates have been targeted.

Dahlin’s comment that “that’s never gonna happen again” reflected the organization’s commitment to protecting each other. On Friday, that commitment manifested not in a group response, but in empowering Thompson to handle his own affairs.

“There were a lot of guys in the room asking, but I said I wanted to do it,” Thompson explained. “I appreciated that everyone wanted to do it, but I figured I’d take care of my own business.”

Ruff noted that his team has been in “a pretty good place” regarding response protocols since that February lesson. The situation with Noesen was unique because it involved the star player wanting personal closure.

Thompson’s fighting history

While not known primarily as an enforcer, Thompson has shown a willingness to drop the gloves when necessary. Friday’s fight was his sixth regular-season bout, with previous opponents including notable names like Toronto’s Morgan Rielly, Carolina’s Jalen Chatfield, and former Montreal Canadien Max Pacioretty.

The rarity of a top-line center engaging in fisticuffs made Friday’s event particularly noteworthy. In an era where fighting has decreased significantly, seeing a team’s offensive leader take matters into his own hands carried extra weight.

Impact of the fight on Sabres vs Devils 2025 rivalry

The Sabres and Devils don’t share the same heated rivalry as some other Eastern Conference matchups, but Friday’s events added a new chapter to their history. The personal nature of the Thompson-Noesen conflict, combined with the honorable way both players handled it, created a memorable moment that transcended the lopsided final score.

What this means for both teams moving forward

For Buffalo, the fight represented both individual accountability and team growth. While the game result was disappointing, the organization’s evolution in handling physical play was evident. The Sabres have now dropped two straight games since climbing back to .500, and they’ll need more than moral victories to climb the Eastern Conference standings.

New Jersey, meanwhile, demonstrated that they can win in multiple ways. Despite being outplayed for stretches, the Devils capitalized on their opportunities and showed resilience in the face of an early emotional surge from Buffalo.

Both teams face quick turnarounds, with Buffalo traveling to Minnesota to face the Wild on Saturday and New Jersey continuing their road trip. Whether this storyline carries over to future matchups remains to be seen, but both teams have shown they can handle their business—on and off the ice—with professionalism.

The Thompson-Noesen fight serves as a reminder that in hockey, accountability matters. Sometimes the scoreboard doesn’t reflect the full story, and sometimes the most important battles aren’t about points in the standings but about standing up for yourself and earning respect.