NHL 19: How to Start a Fight & All Fighting Controls

Hockey is one of the most aggressive sports out there and fights breaking out on the ice isn’t so uncommon truth be told. That’s why when it comes to NHL that element of realism has remained within the sport. It’s a contact sport after all. Here’s how to start a fight in NHL 19 and all the fighting controls you need to ensure you come out on top.

Starting a Fight in NHL 19

In order to actually begin fighting in NHL 19, you’ll first have to initiate a fight with any other player on the opposing side. You can do this at any point while the game is underway, or once the whistle has been blown. All you need to do is double tap Y on Xbox One or Triangle on PS4 while you’re close to another player.

If you do decide to start fighting while the game is still underway though, you will incur a two-minute instigator penalty on top of the standard five minutes you get for fighting anyway. As such, we’d suggest just containing your inner rage and waiting until the whistle’s blown before you throw your gloves off and get to it.

All Fighting Controls in NHL 19 (PS4 & Xbox One)

Once you’ve instigated the fight, you’ll then be able to throw punches, push and pull your opponent, block incoming punches and dodge out of the way too. In order to make this as simple for you as possible to get to grips with, we’ve broken all the different moves you’ve got at your disposal when fighting in NHL 19 down below, with both Xbox One and PS4 controls.

• Grab – Hold LT / L2
• Fake Grab – Press LT/ L2
• Overhand Punch – Up on right analog stick
• Uppercut – Down on right analog stick
• Push – Up on left analog stick
• Pull – Down on left analog stick
• Block / Lean Back – Hold RT/ R2
• Dodge – Press RT /R2

Winning a Fight

There are a few things worth noting when it comes to fighting in NHL 19. The first of which is that, no matter how well you think you nailed the button presses and punches you threw in NHL 19, a lot of whether you win or not will come down to your player’s ‘Fighter’ stat. The higher this is, the better they’re going to be and the higher the chance you have of dealing a one-hit knock-out.

Similarly, this stat will also determine how many hits your player can take before they go down. As such, we advise always trying to start a fight with the player with the best ‘Fighter’ stat on your team.

Sometimes, though, even if you’ve got the player with the higher attribute, you’re not always going to win. Especially in those circumstances when your opponent is just spamming punches. Here’s where you’ll want to make good use of the headlock.

To perform a headlock in NHL 19, you’ll first need to press RT on Xbox One or R2 on PS4 right as your opponent’s punch animation is starting. With a bit of luck, you’ll dodge the punch and your opponent will be left vulnerable. As soon as you’ve dodged the punch, initiate a grab with LT on Xbox One or L2 on PS4.

From this point, you can then begin wailing on them with any kind of punch you want. Be warned, though, that it is possible for your opponent (and yourself if you ever find yourself in a headlock) to get out of this move by dodging your punches with RT / R2. As such, be sure to mix up your rhythm to make it less predictable for your opponent to guess when a punch is coming.

That’s everything you need to know about fighting in NHL 19. For more tips, tricks, and guides, be sure to search for Twinfinite.