NHL personality Paul Bissonnette assaulted by group at Scottsdale restaurant: ‘Took something, gave more’

Popular hockey podcaster, broadcaster and former NHL player Paul Bissonnette was taken to a hospital Sunday after being attacked by several men at a family restaurant in Scottsdale, Ariz.

In a three-minute video sent to XBissonnette said the altercation took place inside and outside Houston’s restaurant after he observed a group of patrons causing trouble with the restaurant manager. Bissonnette, 39, said he is a regular diner at the establishment and tried to intervene after a member of the group put his hands on the manager.

“You could tell he was a little shocked and surprised and stunned,” Bissonnette said. “It’s a family restaurant. I don’t think there was anybody in there to go and help him. I went over, I just grabbed the guy’s arm that was on him. I said, ‘Sir, if you continue to harass and assault the staff, we will have problems.’

“And then they just started hollering, so it escalated extremely quickly.”

Bissonnette said he fought with seven people in total. Six of those men were arrested and are facing charges of assault and disorderly conduct, according to Fox 10 Phoenix.

That group knocked the former NHL tough guy to the ground on a couple of occasions, according to Bissonnette, but he didn’t lose consciousness. He thanked the police and hospital staff for their quick response and care.

“Everything’s good, guys,” Bissonnette said. “It stinks. I got (kicked) in the face a couple of times, but it could have been a lot worse.”

Bissonnette is part of the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast and described her experience in an episode scheduled to air Tuesday. He is also a panelist on TNT’s national television coverage and indicated he would be in the studio for Wednesday’s doubleheader.

The veteran of 202 NHL games with Pittsburgh and Phoenix was clearly shaken by the altercation with a group of men he thought had been playing golf earlier in the day.

“Just bad guys,” Bissonnette said. “Too drunk and I don’t know what else they had in their system. Yes, I am very, very angry with these guys and want their names out there and want them to pay the piper. Just unacceptable behavior in a family restaurant just because they couldn’t get another cocktail and didn’t want to hear ‘No’ for an answer.”

The police have not identified the arrested.

As terrifying as the situation was, Bissonnette felt he held himself in an outnumbered situation.

“Took some,” he said. “Give more.”

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(Photo: Cliff Hawkins / Getty Images for The Match)