| Fighting. It's one word that's sparking a debate among | | | | combination of these, depending on the severity of the |
| both NHL fans and many other people who aren't | | | | fight. There is also the possibility of a fine of $10,000, |
| necessarily NHL fans. Some people want it left in the | | | | which doubles every time after, for fighting in the last |
| game, others want it banned. | | | | five minutes of a game, which the coach has to pay. |
| If you ask me, I would tell you out right that I want it | | | | Not to mention the fact that the player who instigates |
| kept in the game and the rules of penalties and | | | | a fight in the last five minutes of regulation is |
| suspensions of fighting left the way they are. There | | | | automatically suspended for the next game. If the |
| are enough penalties and suspensions about fighting | | | | league really wanted to take it a step further, and not |
| already, and they are just fine the way they are now. | | | | totally eliminate fighting in the game, maybe they could |
| If you change the rules on penalties and suspensions | | | | re-evaluate what the penalties are for fighting. |
| about fighting, or take out fighting all together, the game | | | | Whether it's starting a fight, fighting in general, third-man |
| loses its appeal for fans. After all, fights create an | | | | in, game misconducts, etc and perhaps even look into |
| atmosphere that makes the game fun. People want to | | | | what kind of suspensions they give to players who |
| see fights during games because it's entertaining. Not | | | | commit "cheap shots" on other players. Perhaps they |
| to mention the fact that it's been part of NHL history | | | | should turn to the fans who actually care about the |
| for as long as anybody can remember - probably | | | | game and actually start listening to them. Fans are |
| even started in the early days before the NHL was | | | | important to hockey and the league doesn't seem to |
| created, which was around the beginning of the 20th | | | | see that at times, especially with the topic of fighting |
| century in the late 1890s and early 1900s. | | | | and violence in the game. |
| Fighting in the NHL is a tradition and if it's taken out of | | | | Towards the end of the season, New York Rangers' |
| the game, then a lot of hockey fans will stop going to | | | | player Ryan Hollweg got hit in the face with New York |
| games. If you polled fans at games about whether | | | | Islanders' Chris Snow's stick and Snow got a 25-game |
| fighting should be kept in the game, I wouldn't be | | | | suspension. But when Chris Neil hit Chris Drury, who |
| surprised if at least half of them said that they want it | | | | went straight down to the ice and received a |
| left alone and not be taken out. And why should it? It | | | | concussion, he didn't so much as get a penalty or |
| creates excitement that the fans want. Not to mention, | | | | suspension. |
| fans almost expect a fight at some point during the | | | | What people might not realize is that in the official |
| season whether it's once a week, once a week, or | | | | handbook for the NHL, there are a lot of different |
| even once a month because it's just part of the game, | | | | penalties, game misconducts, suspensions, and a lot of |
| and it's fun to see the teams' goons, as they are | | | | other different categories for fighting. Some of these |
| called, go at each other and fight. Players know the | | | | are fighting before the drop of the puck, being the |
| rules of the game and of fighting and they knowingly | | | | instigator, instigating in the last five minutes of regulation, |
| play by these rules. | | | | match and major penalties, and fines and suspensions |
| Not to mention the fact that if fighting is taken out of | | | | for aggressor, not going directly to the penalty box, |
| the game, you have the problem of how long a player | | | | and for instigator among other things. There are seven |
| should be out of the game if he fights even once. Do | | | | pages of rules and regulations that help regulate |
| you ban him for the rest of his career? Do you make | | | | penalties, etc when a fight does happen. |
| him serve a suspension worth so many games (10, 15, | | | | The violence and fighting that has gone on in the NHL |
| etc)? If fighting is banned in the NHL, it will create more | | | | recently, such as the incidents described above, is |
| of a debate and more of a problem that it already is. | | | | nothing compared to the early years of the NHL. In |
| Plus there would probably be some questionable calls | | | | fact, in the early years, there were many more fights |
| by the referees as well. A referee might call a | | | | and a lot more violence in the game. Millian, who hosts |
| two-minute roughing penalty on a player if he pushes | | | | The Blue Line: Hockey Talk Radio and has covered |
| and shoves someone else. A referee might also just | | | | the topic extensively, told me that the critics of the |
| put someone in the penalty box for instigating a fight. | | | | sport as well as the media are looking at recent |
| On the ice it's the referee's call on what penalties are | | | | events, like the ones I mentioned earlier of the Hollweg |
| called with the rules as of right now; but if you | | | | and Drury incidents, "and say[ing] that the game is |
| completely ban fighting in the NHL then you'll have | | | | more violent than ever." But really, if you compare |
| referees making more calls that are completely bogus | | | | today's game to the 1960's and the golden age of the |
| than they are right now. | | | | goons, today's modern hockey is actually tamer by |
| Yes, players do get hurt from time to time but | | | | comparison. What people have forgotten about |
| sometimes they get what they deserve. I do | | | | hockey is that it does have a long tradition of violence |
| understand that. I know that there have been a lot of | | | | behind it and that each player in the NHL was, and is, |
| players who have gotten knocked unconscious, etc | | | | willing to play in that kind of condition. Millian also told |
| and there have been serious consequences from the | | | | me that if roughness, intimidation, violence, and fighting |
| injuries they receive. I know there are fights that erupt | | | | are allowed to be part of the rules "and that players |
| from players knocking each other into the boards, the | | | | knowingly play by the rules, then it [goes to show that |
| glass, onto the ice, etc and have needed to be carried | | | | they are] showing sportsmanship and not being |
| off on a stretcher. There is always going to be the | | | | mindless, violent goons." |
| fear of getting hurt from fights or from unnecessary | | | | If fighting were to be taken out of the game |
| hits, but most of the time players don't always have | | | | completely, it would be a very boring game with |
| time to think about getting into a fight and possibly | | | | players not being able to hit each other. Players would |
| getting hurt. Much of the time of time fights happen in a | | | | just be skating around the rink with no emotion and |
| split second. | | | | pretty much no ambition to play because the rules |
| Take the Todd Fedoruk-Derek Boogaard fight toward | | | | have changed so much. Players would be afraid to hit |
| the beginning of the 2006-2007 season for example. | | | | anybody in fear of other players over-reacting and |
| The Minnesota Wild were playing the Anaheim Ducks | | | | starting a fight. |
| and at some point during the game, Fedoruk was | | | | Fighting is an essential part of the game and it can |
| following Boogaard around the rink, trying to pick a fight | | | | happen at any time due to the emotional charge it has |
| with him. Boogaard didn't want anything to do with | | | | on players. Whether they're getting angry about a |
| Fedoruk but they ended up "going at it" anyway. When | | | | certain hit or something happening in the game, it can |
| all was said and done, Boogaard ended up winning the | | | | change the momentum for a team. That in turn could |
| fight and punching in Fedoruk's face. Fedoruk had to | | | | mean that a team could come from behind and win |
| be taken to the hospital and ended up getting metal | | | | the game. Players can get very emotional and angry |
| plates in his face. | | | | when something happens to a teammate or |
| Later in the season in late February, the Buffalo | | | | something happens in a game. Players take their |
| Sabres' Chris Drury got hit in the face by the Ottawa | | | | emotions and anger out on the ice sometimes and |
| Senators' Chris Neil. Shortly after the hit, the Sabres' | | | | fights end up coming about. They know they can hit |
| Drew Stafford went after Neil and both of them | | | | players on the ice with their body, like a hip check, |
| received fighting majors, which is an automatic | | | | because hockey is such a contact, as well as collision, |
| five-minute penalty. Lindy Ruff, the Sabres' coach, sent | | | | sport where players hit each other and tempers flare. |
| out his fourth-line of Andrew Peters, Patrick Kaleta, | | | | It just happens to be that that kind of sport, and is |
| and Adam Mair after that to face-off against | | | | accepted as being the nature of the game whether |
| Ottawa's line of Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza and | | | | people like it or not. |
| Mike Comrie. Mair went after Spezza and everything | | | | Another factor of why fighting should stay in the game |
| just escalated from there. As one can imagine, | | | | is that the league has already changed so much in |
| everybody got riled up. Players from both teams were | | | | terms of how the game is played. They added the |
| fighting each other and even the goalies got into the | | | | trapezoid behind the goalie net, took away two line |
| action. | | | | passes, expanded the offensive zone, and having |
| Fighting impacts the game for everyone involved, from | | | | goalie equipment being smaller than what it was |
| the player from who the coach sends out on the ice, | | | | before the lockout of the 2004-2005 season among |
| to who gets penalties during the game, the player that | | | | other changes. The league is trying to change too |
| gets suspended - if applicable, and of course a player | | | | much at one time and they need to step back and |
| that misses games due to injury. Fighting does have its | | | | see the progress that they have already made since |
| consequences, but it's something that's a part of the | | | | the end of the 2003-2004 season. The fans, for the |
| game. It always has been and always should be, no | | | | most part, like the game as it stands right now and |
| matter what. The league should leave this subject | | | | they don't want anything changed too dramatically, and |
| alone because there are players that want it left in the | | | | so soon. And right now, it's the case of fighting in the |
| game, not to mention the coaches and fans who want | | | | NHL that they don't want changed. |
| it left in the game as well. It's something that fans like | | | | Fighting should be left alone by the league and maybe |
| to see happen and if taken out, hockey will lose a big | | | | in a couple years, be brought up to see whether it |
| part of its tradition and background. Not to mention the | | | | should have a place in the game. But don't be |
| fact that momentum, which can play a big part after a | | | | surprised if people have the same kind of answer then |
| fight, would be lost and that the game would probably | | | | as they do now - leave it alone and leave it in the |
| have no flow to it because players won't have the | | | | game. Fighting, violence, roughness, intimidation - it's all a |
| ambition to go out and play to win. | | | | part of the game and if that's taken away, then you |
| There are people that think that there should be at | | | | just lost the interest of the fans and hockey will |
| least some sort of regulation or punishment for fighting | | | | become as boring as figure skating but with all the |
| in the NHL and for some of the "cheap shots." There | | | | pads and such of hockey. Plus, if it's completely |
| are a number of regulations in place already in the | | | | banned by the league, there will be a bigger mess of |
| NHL. For example, if you start a fight, you get an | | | | how long a player should be out of the game for |
| instigator penalty, which is an automatic two-minute | | | | fighting just once. Players are willing to play by the |
| penalty. Both players get a five-minute major penalty | | | | rules and realize how violent the sport can be, and if |
| for fighting, or it could be even longer such as a | | | | they are willing to play under the conditions, why |
| ten-minute game misconduct penalty or possibly miss | | | | change a darn thing about fighting? |
| the rest of the game. There could also be any | | | | |