New York Police and firefighters involved in violent brawl during charity ice hockey game

The police and firefighters department were involved in a wild, violent brawl during an annual charity ice hockey game.

Every year, the NYPD and the FDNY lock horns in a charity fixture in New York but this year's meeting got particularly spicy on the ice.

The two teams of emergency workers met at the UBS Arena, home of the New York Islanders, and raised money for good causes.

The police went into the game looking to end the FDNY's dominance in the fixture, looking for a first victory since 2016.

They managed to do just that with a memorable victory in the 52nd iteration of the fixture but the contest wasn't without incident.

With the score at 2-2, all hell broke loose on the ice as a fireman (in white and red) and policeman (wearing green) dropped their sticks and started throwing punches at one another.

Teammates from both sides rushed to get involved and a multi-man brawl ensued, with sticks, punches and bodies flying all over the place.

Referees often allow brief tear-ups between opposition players in ice hockey, typically stepping in when someone falls. Officials had their hands full on this occasion however, as multiple fights broke out and the fans in attendance lapped it up.

Eventually things calmed down but not for long as it all kicked off when the final buzzer sounded. The benches completely cleared and violence erupted again with strikes, slams and grappling.

Footage of the fights went viral on social media, with one clip racking up 1.5 million views on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The NYPD emerged victorious 3-2 in the match - though it was unclear who reigned supreme in the brawl. The police department took to social media to flex their victory, writing: "Bringing home the gold. The Finest and the Bravest took to the ice today for the 52nd Annual Heroes Hockey Game.

"Both teams gave it their all, but the NYPD came out on top, defeating @FDNY 3-2. Congrats to our champions!"

In a second post, the department's official page said they were "still not over this W" and shared highlights of the triumph. Both sets of workers were seen shaking hands by the time it was all set and done. After all, they got into it back in 2014 and 2024 too.

The FNDY also reacted to the result, commenting: "Congrats to the NYPD on their win!".