Brayden Schenn Asked Nick Foligno To Fight For Memory At Winter Classic

CHICAGO -- No, Nick Foligno didn't ask for a fight. In fact, Brayden Schenn did. With a lead, a three-goal lead.

Huh?

That doesn't sound right, that the winning team, one that just took a 5-1 lead in the second period of the Discover NHL Winter Classic at Wrigley Field, asks the player on the losing side if he wants to go.

But that's what Schenn did. Right off the faceoff, the gloves dropped and off they went.

"I guess the Schenns and Folignos like fighting each other," Schenn said. "We actually don't hate each other, but I guess we like fighting each other. Luke fought Marcus this year and he's fought him multiple times, and I've fought Nick, like, 12 years ago. We actually don't hate each other, but I guess we like to fight each other. He's tough.

"I asked him. You look back on these moments in your career and why not, eh? You're squaring off at Wrigley Field at center ice against a tough customer. You never know if you're going to play in another Winter Classic, so get in a fight while you're at it. You want the memory."

Schenn said he took Jake Neighbours' shift there, and if Foligno didn't want to do it, he was going to skate off the ice and let Neighbours back on.

"Oh, he landed a couple (punches)," Schenn said. "But I was walking down the stretch to the dressing room and I just felt like a UFC fighter or something. I was just walking by myself with a bunch of people screaming at me."

With a lifelong memory in the bank now.

But also respect from teammates.

"That just shows what type of a captain that he is," Blues forward Jordan Kyrou said. "No matter what the score is, he's going to go out there and get that done. That was pretty cool to see that, captain vs. captain, Winter Classic game. Watching him walk off and all the fans cheering was pretty exciting and a special moment for him for sure.

"I can't (imagine doing that), but that's awesome for 'Schenner.' It's pretty cool."