Xhekaj tangles with son of former NHL heavyweight in OHL tilt

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Cooper Godin
October 24, 2023 (9:29)

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During a game last week in the OHL between the Brantford Bulldogs and the London Knights, fans were treated to a spirited bout between two of the toughest players in the league.

At the end of the first period, Bulldogs forward and Montreal Canadiens prospect Florian Xhekaj, brother of Arber, dropped the mitts with Sawyer Boulton of the London Knights. If the name Boulton rings a bell, that's because Sawyer is the son of longtime NHL heavyweight Eric Boulton.

Both Xhekaj and Boulton landed several strong punches, but it was the Knights forward who got the better of his combatant, before the officials got in between to separate them. Xhekaj received two minutes for instigating, a five minute major for fighting and a ten-minute misconduct.

"Here's a good closeup view of the Florian Xhekaj/Sawyer Boulton tilt that had the scouting world buzzing on the weekend. Sawyer is Eric Boulton's son, and clearly inherited his dad's strength and toughness."

Fighting in the Ontario Hockey League has become less common in recent years, mainly due to the rules surrounding it. The OHL's current rules allow any player to fight a maximum of three times, but if they decide to drop the mitts more than that amount, they'll be subject to suspensions. Tilts like Xhekaj vs Boulton are a treat for any old-school hockey fans who love seeing players drop the mitts.