Sam Lafferty and Josh Manson drop the gloves for the 2022-23 season's first official tilt

Do you know how I know that NHL hockey is back? The boys have dropped the gloves.

Last night Chicago Blackhawks forward Sam Lafferty and Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson dropped the gloves and registered the first official fighting majors of the 2022-23 NHL season, even if their tilt was more of a wrestling match than a fist fight.

Check out the pair going head to head from last evening:

Again, more of a wrestling match or a bear hugging contest then anything, but given that I haven't seen a fight in the NHL in nearly half a calendar year, I'll take it. Manson is clearly the decisive winner in this tilt, being that he's the only one of the two to actually land a punch. Still... hockey's back, baby!

Manson is one tough customer though, so you've got to give Lafferty credit for at least dropped the gloves. Manson is 6 foot, 3 inches and 220 pounds to Lafferty's 6 foot, 195 pounds. Not the biggest mismatch, but certainly not an even tilt from a size perspective. According to Hockeyfights.com, this was Manson's 24th career fight and just his first fight as a member of the Avalanche. Manson, of course, played parts of eight seasons with the Anaheim Ducks before coming over in a trade to the Avs this past Spring. Manson played a pivotal role in the Avs' Stanley Cup championship and ended up signing a four year, $18 million contract extension with the team rather than test free agency this past summer.

As for Lafferty, this is just his 6th NHL fight according to Hockeyfights.com, and his second fight with the Blackhawks. The former Pittsburgh Penguins forward is trying forge out a bit of a career for himself with the Blackhawks at 27 years of age given that the team has some roster vacancies. He put up five goals and 11 points in 46 games with the Blackhawks last season after arriving in Chicago from Pittsburgh in a trade for former 1st round pick Alex Nylander. If nothing else, dropping the gloves will gain him the respect of his coaches and teammates. A smart move if he's trying to nail down a full-time roster spot.