Who is Nick Tarnasky? All we know as former NHL enforcer’s golf fight video goes viral online

A video of former ice hockey pro Nick Tarnasky is making the rounds on social media. The 40-year-old is seen brawling with a golfer, who is suspected to be intoxicated. During their fight, Tarnasky was able to overpower the other person multiple times before someone intervened and separated them in the end. 

Can you imagine running your mouth at the golf course only to get fed by former NHLer Nick Tarnasky 😂 The Bangs were straight out of the WWE and the guy was warned. Mess with the bull you get the horns! Hockey players are the best pic.twitter.com/2FbJdhh5yB

— The Morning Skate (@morning_skate) July 8, 2025

For those unaware, Nick is a former National Hockey League player, whom the Tampa Bay Lightning drafted in the 2003 NHL Draft. He was picked during the ninth round, 287th overall. Nick Tarnasky played his first season at TBL in 2005, but was traded to the Nashville Predators three years later. 

After spending three seasons as a part of the Lightning and one season with the Predators, the Canadian played his last two years in the NHL with the Florida Panthers. Apart from the National Hockey League, Nick Taransky also played in the WHL, AHL, ECHL, and KHL, per The Internet Hockey Database. 

The ex-Tampa Bay Lightning player was last seen playing for the American Hockey League’s San Diego Gulls in the 2016-17 season. After 2017, Nick Tarnasky seemingly retired and hasn’t been seen much in public. However, the former NHL enforcer was recently filmed during a physical altercation on a golf course. 

The fight between Nick Tarnasky and a golfer seemingly started following an argument between two groups

New longer version pic.twitter.com/hB0TZuiPgA

— NUCLR GOLF POD (@NUCLRGOLFPOD) July 8, 2025

In a longer version of the viral clip, posted by @NUCLRGOLFPOD, people from different groups are heard arguing. The argument is seemingly due to the slow pace maintained by one of the groups, as one is heard suggesting, 

“Let’s get going. [...] You can play behind us, you can take all the f***ing time you want.” 

While people from the other group share their annoyance about the delay, one of them asks to call the police, but a person claims that they don’t need it. The camera then moves towards the assailant, who is asked to move on. One of them says:

“They’ve been sitting there for 23 f***ing minutes.” 

At the moment, the assailant yells, “Cry about it, f***ing cry about it.” He exchanges some expletives with the other golfers before charging at one of them. The other person, who turns out to be Nick Tarnasky, throws him off the pond. The physical altercation continues, as the former ice hockey centre takes down the attacker twice, before someone defuses the situation. 

According to TMZ, the brawl happened on July 4 at around 5:47 pm. The outlet confirmed that the video was shot at Alberta Springs Golf Course in Canada’s Red Deer. The police told TMZ that their officers responded to the reports of an intoxicated person at the golf course, who was allegedly instigating fights. However, he had already left by the time the police arrived at the scene. 

TMZ also reported that no one has been arrested, while the authorities are not investigating any further into the matter.