Maple Leaf's Simon Benoit pulls out Superman Punch in fight vs. Utah

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's... a hockey fight!

You don't see something like this every night. On Monday night, a tussle broke out early in the second period between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Utah Hockey Club. Most fights start with two opponents sizing each other up and then exchanging haymakers, but not this time.

Toronto's Simon Benoit decided to take to the air and deliver a top rope punch to Utah's Michael Kesselring, taking the 25-year-old by surprise.

Ultimately, Benoit took Kesselring to the ground but it was actually the Utah man who made the most contact with his repeated right hooks. Judge the fight for yourself, Kesselring might've won by decision but Benoit certainly won on style points.

Sam Benoit explains his Superman Punch approach to fight with Michael Kesselring

After Toronto's 4-3 win over Utah, Benoit gave his own breakdown of his approach to the fight with Kesselring.

"I felt I had an opening there and I just took it," he told reporters in the locker room (h/t TSN).

"That was a little interesting but whatever that's a fight, right?" Kesselring said post game. "He's a tough kid, I respect him for fighting, he doesn't have to."

The Supeman Punch is apparently a staple of Benoit's fighting style. He used the same strategy during the 2023-24 season against the Columbus Blue Jackets' Erik Gudbranson.

Despite the vicious appearance, there wasn't any hard feelings between the two as they were taken to the penalty box to serve their five-minute fighting majors. Benoit said he and Kesselring were "all good" and that the scuffle was just part of the game.

Benoit and Kesselring are no strangers to the penalty box though. The two have combined for 118 penalty minutes this season (46 for Benoit and 72 for Kesselring). Fans will have the next meeting between the two teams circled on their calendars for a potential rematch.