Fighting In Hockey

Don't get me wrong - I like a good hockey fight as much as the next guy, but how is clamping down on fighting going to "hurt the game?"

Bruce Banner wrote: Don't get me wrong - I like a good hockey fight as much as the next guy, but how is clamping down on fighting going to "hurt the game?"

This might be hard to understand for someone is either isn't a fan, or maybe just a casual fan.  But if you take the fighting out, its almost certain that players will resort to swinging sticks and probably other tactics that would be more dangerous that fighting.

Fighting is used to show the other team that your team won't be pushed around, or that you won't tolerate your star players being roughed up.  Its been in the game too long to take away or limit in any way I think.

I also think that the game would lose fans as well.

Bruce Banner wrote: Zata wrote: Bruce Banner wrote: Don't get me wrong - I like a good hockey fight as much as the next guy, but how is clamping down on fighting going to "hurt the game?" This might be hard to understand for someone is either isn't a fan, or maybe just a casual fan.  But if you take the fighting out, its almost certain that players will resort to swinging sticks and probably other tactics that would be more dangerous that fighting.Fighting is used to show the other team that your team won't be pushed around, or that you won't tolerate your star players being roughed up.  Its been in the game too long to take away or limit in any way I think.I also think that the game would lose fans as well.   Oh poo.  I grew up playing and watching hockey.  It works just fine without fighting.  Just like every other sport on the planet (except for, you know, MMA and stuff).   Would the NHL lose some fans?  Possibly - hard to predict if it would be a net gain or loss.  But that is irrelevant to whether it would "hurt the game."   Besides, hockey does not begin and end with the NHL.  As it turns out, only a small portion of the world's hockey is played in the NHL.  In most of the world's hockey, fighting is an automatic ejection.

It wouldn't be the end of hockey, but it would be the end of the Red Wings

Dude died when his head hit the ice. Brian Pothier hasn't been back all year because he got a concussion without even hitting the boards hard, and that wasn't even in a fight. Injuries will happen in any sport and fighting isn't the only way your helmet is going to come off in hockey. I think trying to ban it is about as smart as trying to encourage it. It's become a part of the NHL's image and it works for the players involved. It's their game, let them make the call.

Edited by tallen702 - 22 January 2009 at 11:52pm

Zata wrote: tallen702 wrote: It wouldn't be the end of hockey, but it would be the end of the Red Wings   Wait what?  Unless you're being sarcastic, I don't understand what you mean.

Zata wrote: They're all I watch.  This thread is about fighting, which isn't apart of the Red Wings style so thats where I'm confused.

Two names Zata:
Bob Probert
and
Joe Kocur

Those boys were fighters through and through.

To quote wikipedia:

Probert will always be remembered as one of the NHL's toughest players, in 16 NHL seasons he fought 285 NHL fights with a record of 176-50-59 and many enforcers considered him the toughest and most feared fighter in the NHL

That's a lot of fights brotha!

Kocur vs Probert

red wings are pansies though :)


Blues vs Red Wings



Edited by adrenalinejunky - 23 January 2009 at 10:27am

Detroit needs to get themselves one of these:

Highly entertaining, especially when he plays his old teams.

Like I've said in the past; bring back Gladiator battles and the masses will be happy.