Former National Hockey League player Paul Bissonnette says he was hospitalized Sunday after he was assaulted by multiple allegedly drunken patrons of a restaurant he frequents.
In a video posted on X on Monday, the 39-year-old NHL analyst said he was trying to intervene to protect the staff at Houston's restaurant in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Sunday when the rowdy group refused to leave.
Bissonnette said he saw "a bit of a ruckus going on in the bar" after restaurant staff asked a group of men who appeared to be drunk to leave, and one of the men allegedly "put his hands on" the manager.
"I said, 'Sir, if you continue to harass and assault the staff, we're gonna have problems," Bissonnette said, adding that he intervened and grabbed the man.
Thanks for your calls & messages. Love you fuckers. Had a blast getting to record @spittinchiclets today and share some laughs with the gang. See you tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/5WOxkxARvx
— Paul Bissonnette (@BizNasty2point0) November 26, 2024
That allegedly prompted the man and his friends to get physical, and "it escalated extremely quickly," Bissonnette said.
Bisonnette said he fought a total of seven men between the restaurant and the parking lot, and "got taken down a couple of times." He said that although he was hit in the head, he never lost consciousness.
Police arrested a total of six individuals, and Bissonnette said he escaped to a nearby CVS drugstore. He was later taken to the hospital for his injuries. In the video, cuts can be seen on Bisonnette's face, but he assured fans he was fine.
Scottsdale Police Sgt. Allison Sempsis told Fox 10 Phoenix that there was "an altercation inside the restaurant with six adult men and the management."
"Reportedly, Paul Bissonnette tried to help management calm the men and get them to leave," Sempsis told the outlet. "The situation escalated to the men assaulting Paul Bissonnette both inside and outside of the restaurant."
-- With reporting by TMX
Originally published on Enstarz
