NHL on TNT analyst and former Phoenix Coyotes player Paul Bissonnette appeared on his Spittin’ Chiclets podcast and said he was physically OK but seeking vengeance a day after he was sent to the hospital after being assaulted at a Scottsdale restaurant.
Bissonnette, who played for the Phoenix Coyotes from 2009-14, went into detail about what led to the fight and his involvement.
He said that he tried to help management calm a group of golfers who were aggressively arguing with a Houston’s restaurant management team about where they were allowed to drink. The men assaulted Bissonnette around 7:30 p.m. Sunday, according to police.
The former hockey player, who frequents the restaurant, said he approached the group after two of the men were yelling at the manager and assistant manager. Bissonnette on his podcast (explicit language) accused the men of being inebriated.
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“I walk over, I grab the guy’s arm and I say, ‘Listen, buddy, if you keep harassing and assaulting the staff here, we’re going to go outside and we’re going to have some problems,” Bissonnette said on the podcast. “The minute that left my mouth, the guy besides him starts throwing punches. And next thing you know there’s four guys swinging at me.”
Police said that six men were arrested related to the fight and three of them were “most involved” in fighting with Bissonnette. They were arrested on charges of assault and disorderly conduct.
Bissonnette was speaking about the incident because he wanted the group of men to be held accountable.
“I’ll get their names, boys, and this is going to be a thing,” he said. “Unbelievable staff (at Houston’s). Maybe I felt more of a connection because I go to this Houston’s restaurant three to four times a week.”
“I’m going to do what I can to ruin these guys’ lives,” Bissonnette added. “I kind of want my vengeance at this point. Maybe things will change once I calm down. First time I’ve ever been in a situation like that. Just glad I didn’t get KO’d on the ground there.”
The Scottsdale Police released the suspects names on Tuesday.
The fight lasted, in Bissonnette’s mind, only about 3:30 minutes. He said he returned swings with the group and backed out of the restaurant after the fight started to avoid getting cornered into the bar or wall. In the process, he lost his shirt and shoes.
The fight went into the parking lot and through a gravel area, according to Bissonnette. At one point, he said he “buckled” the man who threw the first punch before Bissonnette himself got taken to the ground.
“I was very, very happy about that. That seemed to ignite them again,” Bissonnette said.
He added he got kicked in the head and neck about three times but didn’t lose consciousness while on the ground. The fight ended when he got up from the ground and ran into a nearby CVS.
Bissonnette thanked a quick police response that broke up the fight and the emergency medical services who helped him before he was sent to the hospital for evaluation.