About 5 For Fighting
The skates may be hung up. The hockey never left.
At some point, every hockey player has to hang up the skates. For some of us, that should have been the end of the story. It wasn’t.
5 For Fighting was born from a group of old hockey heads who simply refused to let the game go. We grew up playing it, arguing about it, watching it, living it and, like most hockey people, developing opinions far stronger than our actual playing abilities ever justified.
It all started with a hockey pool.
What began as a ragtag group of guys putting together a pool eventually turned into something far bigger. Seasons turned into traditions, traditions turned into rules, and before long we had a full-blown hockey universe of our own with a rulebook, expansion drafts, trades, rivalries, bragging rights and one very important piece of hardware: The Lazy Boy.
Our championship trophy travels around the country every year, finding its way into the hands of whichever unfortunate bastard managed to survive the season and come out on top.
But the real prize was always the conversation.
The group chat became its own hockey bar. We argued. We chirped each other. We disagreed about everything. We talked about players, teams, trades, prospects, ridiculous takes and everything in between.
Eventually, four of us realized something: The hockey conversation was too good to keep to ourselves.
So we started a podcast.
What began as four friends talking hockey turned into a full season of 5 For Fighting, and we absolutely loved every minute of it. The podcast gave us a place to bring the same unfiltered hockey conversations we’d been having for years to a much bigger audience.
And that brings us here.
More Than a Podcast
5 For Fighting is growing into something bigger than a podcast.
In the offseason of 2026, we built 5forfighting.ca with the goal of creating a grassroots hockey media hub built by hockey people, for hockey people.
We’ll talk about the NHL, the players, the teams, the stories and the bullshit that comes with all of it. We’ll write, record, argue, laugh, and probably piss a few people off along the way.
That’s hockey.
We’re not a giant media corporation. We’re not former NHL stars pretending we have all the answers.
We’re hockey fans who love the game and aren’t afraid to have an opinion about it.
We’ve all played. None of us were quite good enough to make it anywhere with our hockey careers but that never stopped us from believing we knew exactly what the coach should have done.
And honestly? We’re still pretty sure we do.
The Guys Behind 5 For Fighting
Ryan Pittman — “Ryan” / “Pittski”
Host of the podcast and lifelong Toronto Maple Leafs fan. Ryan is usually the guy steering the conversation, although exactly where that conversation ends up is anyone’s guess.
Devin Pittman — “Dev”
Editor-in-chief of the podcast and deputy commissioner of the hockey pool. Technically, that sounds like an important title. In reality, he does most of the work.
A lifelong Colorado Avalanche fan and one of the driving forces behind turning the original hockey pool into what it became.
Ryan Billard — “Billard”
Long-time, die-hard Montreal Canadiens fan and proud representative of the Habs faithful. Billard brings years of hockey passion, strong opinions and an accent that occasionally requires subtitles.
Zac Brewer
Our resident Edmonton Oilers fan, holding down the northern fort from Fort McMurray. Zac brings another voice to the never-ending argument that is hockey—and, naturally, has plenty to say about the Oilers.
Welcome to Our Corner of the Hockey World
At the end of the day, 5 For Fighting is about one thing: We fucking love hockey.
We may not be on the ice anymore, but we’re not going anywhere.
So welcome to 5 For Fighting.
Read the articles. Listen to the podcast. Check out the shop. Follow along. Join the conversation.
And if you disagree with us? Even better.
Thanks for stopping by and thanks for helping us keep the game we love alive.
— The 5 For Fighting Crew 🏒