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The Flames’ best fights of 2025-26: Ryan Lomberg fights Cole Smith in final tilt as a Flame

Photo credit: © Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

By Cynthia Ryley Delaney

Jul 30, 2026, 19:30 EDTUpdated: Jul 30, 2026, 19:18 EDT

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With five of the Calgary Flames’ 23 fights this past season, it’s no surprise that Ryan Lomberg appears on this list once again.

This is the third and final time we’ll cover him in the top Flames’ fights of 2025-26. We’ve looked at the forward dropping the gloves with Colton Sissons after a hit on Zayne Parekh the last time the Flames and Golden Knights met. Earning a 5.26 rating on hockeyfights.com, it was rated the fifth-best.

Last time, we looked at Lomberg dropping the gloves with St. Louis Blues’ defenceman Tyler Tucker, an entertaining fight that saw both players land heavy blows. This time, we’ll look at his tilt with Nashville Predators’ Cole Smith, the final time he dropped the gloves as a Flame.

In the other two fights, Lomberg stuck up for his teammate after a big hit. While he still stepped in on a teammate’s behalf, it was after MacKenzie Weegar thought he was a lumberjack and Michael McCarron was a tree.

Smith attempted to fight Weegar, but it was Lomberg who answered the call. Like the fight with Tucker, 5’9” Lomberg was at a serious size disadvantage, as Smith stands at 6’3”, 195 lbs. But also just like Tucker, it didn’t matter.

Facing the bigger opponent, Lomberg got in close to nullify the size advantage. In the clinch, Lomberg managed to throw some lefts on Smith’s ear, the first notable punches thrown. Smith retaliated with a few punches of his own, landing the first significant punch of the fight. The two wrestled for a bit longer before Lomberg was able to unload with some heavy rights. Eventually, the two wrestled to the ice in what was a pretty even bout.

In total, 54 people voted on hockeyfights, with 26 of them declaring Lomberg the winner, and 19 people naming Smith as the victor. Additionally, nine people voted it a draw. Both players landed some heavy punches, and the momentum of this brief fight changed a few times. Overall, it earned a 5.72 rating, the second-highest rated Flames’ fight this past season.

This was Lomberg’s last fight in Flames uniform, his second stint with the team. He threw down four times in his first stint back in the late 2010s, then seven times in 2024-25 and five times this past season.

Despite his height, Lomberg is pound-for-pound one of the best fighters in the National Hockey League, and these entertaining fights will be missed next season.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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