HIGHLIGHTS
- Paul Bissonnette, former NHL player, was assaulted in Arizona on Sunday
- ‘Biznasty’ explained exactly what happened on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast
- Read below for Biznasty’s detailed recount of the assault at Houston’s restaurant
Two days after being assaulted by a group of men at a Scottsdale restaurant, former NHL enforcer Paul “BizNasty” Bissonnette gave a detailed account of the wild incident on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast he co-hosts with Ryan Whitney.
Appearing no worse for wear aside from some bruises and scrapes, the 39-year-old described how a normal Sunday evening at Houston’s, an upscale chain restaurant he frequents, devolved into an all-out melee.
Here’s a clip of Biz explaining the assault. You can listen to the whole Spittin’ Chiclets podcast episode on Apple Podcasts here.
“I go over there around like 8, 8:30,” Bissonnette began. “I’m putting in an order for a salad. And all of a sudden, you could just hear a commotion at the bar area.”
According to Bissonnette, a group of roughly 10 men, many wearing golf shirts, were harassing the restaurant staff and refusing to leave despite being asked. When one man backed the manager against the bar and put a finger in his face, Bissonnette felt compelled to intervene.
“I get up and I go over and I walk over, I grab the guy’s arm,” he recounted. “I said, ‘Listen, buddy, if you keep harassing and assaulting the staff here,’ I said, ‘We’re going to go outside and we’re going to have some problems.’ The minute that left my mouth, the guy beside him starts throwing punches.”
From there, the brawl spilled out from the bar into the parking lot. Bissonnette said he fought off an estimated five to seven men, losing his shirt and shoes in the process. The scrap eventually wound up in front of a nearby CVS.
Despite being outnumbered, Bissonnette managed to land a few shots of his own. “That bald gentleman who originally threw the first punch now starts making a beeline and sprints past all the guys coming at me,” he recalled. “And I catch him with a nice right and buckle them. I was very, very, very, very happy about that.”
Moments later, however, Bissonnette was knocked down and kicked in the head and neck. “Four of them got me,” he said. “They got me on the ground and I ate three kicks, one in the neck, two in the head.”
Scottsdale Police arrived and arrested five of the men on assault charges. Bissonnette was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The longtime hockey tough guy ended the segment by thanking the first responders and expressing a desire for further retribution, albeit half-jokingly.
“Thank God you’re all right, dude,” replied Whitney.
The ordeal showed a side of Bissonnette that fans came to appreciate during his playing days: a willingness to stand up for others, even against long odds. As one commenter put it, “That’s BizNasty – beauty on the ice, beauty off it.”