The 2026 edition of the annual Friday Night Fights event at 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia will take place on March 6. We are proud to announce of our speaker lineup:
Behn Wilson: There was much more to Behn Wilson than just fisticuffs. The 6th overall pick of the 1978 NHL Draft also scored 13 or more goals three times during his Flyers career and posted as many as 63 points in a season. However, big Behn was best know for his aggressive physical style of play and as one of the NHL toughest fighters of his era. The 2026 Friday Night Fights will be Behn’s first appearance at the event.
Willi Plett: Plett and Wilson had some doozies when dropping the gloves with one another at the NHL level. A former 30-goal scorer (1977-78) in NHL, Plett was a power forward before such a term existed in a hockey context. In addition to topping 200 penalty minutes seven times in NHL (with a high of 316), he also scored 20 or more goals in six different seasons (with highs of 38 and 33 tallies). Trivia: He is in the only player in NHL history to be born in Paraguay.
Ian Laperriere: One of the most popular players among teammates and fans alike wherever he went during his 1,000-game NHL career, “Lappy” was a heart-and-soul leader on the 2009-10 Flyers team that won the Eastern Conference. He was fearless about putting himself in harm’s way and sacrificing for the team. Laperriere was never shy about dropping the gloves when necessary, although his main roles were to check, kill penalties and supply seemingly endless energy.
Matthew Barnaby: This will be his fourth speaking appearance at Friday Night Fights: Gregarious, hilarious and never shy about speaking his mind, Barnaby instantly became the most in-demand returning speaker ever since his first FNF appearance. Who’d have thought that one of most hated visiting players among a generation of Flyers fans would later become such a crowd favorite in Philly. His irrepressible style is one of a kind!