Bridgeport's Hunter Drew Suspended One Game for 10th Fighting Major

Hunter Drew has fought his way to a one-game seat in the press box. The AHL's Player Safety Committee suspended the Bridgeport Islanders forward after he accumulated his 10th fighting major of the season in Tuesday's game against the Charlotte Checkers, triggering an automatic suspension under Rule 23.7 that he could not appeal, negotiate, or talk his way out of. Drew sat out Friday's game against the Laval Rocket.

Under Rule 23.7, a player is automatically suspended for the next game after his 10th through 13th fights of the season, then faces a two-game automatic suspension after his 14th or more fights. There is no discretionary review involved at the 10-game threshold; any player who incurs his 10th fighting major is suspended automatically for one game. Drew hit that number on March 25 against Charlotte and was gone before the next puck drop.

The suspension is a by-product of a rule the AHL has had on the books since 2016, specifically designed to put a ceiling on how many times an enforcer can drop the gloves in a single season. The rules state that any player reaching 10 fights during the regular season will be assessed a one-game suspension, with each subsequent fighting major earning them another one-game suspension. For players like Drew, who make their living establishing a physical presence, that math becomes a strategic calculation as the season progresses.

Drew has appeared in 52 games for Bridgeport this season, posting 13 goals, 11 assists, 24 points, and 124 penalty minutes. That PIM total, one of the highest in the Atlantic Division, reflects a player whose value to the Islanders extends well beyond the scoresheet. He scored 29 points in 58 games with the Tucson Roadrunners last season before signing with Bridgeport as a free agent, bringing a track record of offensive production alongside his willingness to fight.

Drew, born October 21, 1998, was selected by the Anaheim Ducks 178th overall in the 2018 NHL Draft. He has 115 career AHL points in 281 games with the Roadrunners, Rockford IceHogs, and San Diego Gulls before this season in Bridgeport. His first AHL NHL fight, notably, came at the professional level: he recorded his first NHL fight against Jonah Gadjovich in a 5-2 victory on April 26, 2022.

With the regular season winding down and playoff positioning still in play across the Atlantic Division, losing Drew for even one game against a North Division opponent in Laval carries real consequence. A player sitting at 10 fighting majors will also carry heightened attention the rest of the way: every opponent now knows that one more bout sends Drew to the stands again automatically. That is the leverage Rule 23.7 is built to create, and for Bridgeport's coaching staff, managing it down the stretch just became part of the job.