The NHL took steps today to crack down on certain kinds of fighting. The league's GM's recommended that players who fight at faceoffs should now receive a 10-minute misconduct penalty in addition to the standard five-minute fighting major. Stats show that 21 per cent of this season's fights have occurred in the face off circle. These are usually referenced as the "staged" fights.However, no one even came close to suggesting an outright ban on fighting, as in, if you fight you get thrown out of the game. "We re-iterated what the players' union told us," Minnesota Wild GM Doug Risebrough said. "We are all comfortable with where fighting is at in our game.
My feeling is, fighting has its time and place in the NHL. That's not to say it won' t happen elsewhere. I just think you should be ejected for it in non-pro situations. I like the NHL's move today because I'm bored with one trick enforcers. It's at least another step toward their extinction. That said, the league still has miles to go.
Most enforcers play 5 minutes a game, at best, and fight once. They're on the bench for 55 of the 60 minutes. Is a 15 minute penalty really a deterrent? He would been sitting on his team's bench for at least the next 15 minutes anyway.
Basically, the penalty for enforcers who fight is still only this: new seating arrangements with more elbow room.
When Risebrough says we're all comfortable with the role of fighting in the NHL, I wonder if he includes the fans in that? You know, the paying customers? Are they all comfortable with the current penalty for fighting?
You often hear the take that parents have a tough time explaining fighting to their kids. So what do kids think of fighting in the NHL here in 2009? With that I present 13 year old Brad, who did his school essay this week on fighting. Brad plays minor hockey and closely watches the NHL. Wonder what kids think of fighting these days? Wonder no more.
Do you find it entertaining to see two men beat each other up and giving each other broken noses; broken faces and seeing them bleed from a fight? Does it make you feel good to see one man beat up another man? Would you pay money or spend time to watch a fight? If so, then you should not go to a hockey game. You should go to a boxing match or a UFC event because that’s where fighting belongs. I think fighting should not be a part of hockey.
Millions of kids in Canada, USA and Europe idolize hockey players. If the hockey players that they idolize fight, and people cheer on this player what does that tell kids? It tells kids that fighting is ok. This is not a good message. Many times there are fights to solve problems in a hockey game, so now you’re telling kids to solve their problems by fighting.
I don’t think we need the enforcer. They don’t actually play hockey, they just get two minutes of ice time to go out and fight. They also take up a roster spot that can be for a faster, more skilled, up and coming player who could make the game more entertaining. That is another reason why fighting should not be a part of hockey.
Let’s look at the facts. The least attended and least entertaining games are the preseason games. They have the most fighting in them with 60% of the games having fights last year. During the 07/08 regular season of last year, 38.46% of the games had fights. In the 07/08 playoffs just 8.23% of games had fights. In International events there is even less fighting than in the playoffs, and that has the best of the best playing hockey. So hockey fans can’t tell me that they go to hockey games to see fights. Truth is, you don’t.
Some people might argue that without fighting that there would be more cheap shots.
The NHL could stop cheap shots with harsher penalties. If fighting has been taken out of the game, and someone decides to run the starting goalie, there could be an automatic five-minute major, an ejection from the hockey game and a 25,000 dollar fine. The league can add a suspension depending on if they think there was a serious attempt to injure. Say the same player tries to do it again. The penalty could be the same only there is an automatic five game suspension, and the player and the team both get fined 50,000 dollars. If the player does it again the penalty is even harsher. Does it one more time, and he is kicked out of the league. Do you really think that players will start running the goalie if the penalty is that harsh? So you wouldn’t need players to fight.
I think Dave Hodge(a TSN sportscaster) said it the best, the red line was part of the game before they took it out and look how much more exciting games are now. Removing the red line was a major change that lead to more offence and therefore a more exciting game. I think they should do the same thing with fighting.
In the end fighting causes too many injuries and the game has changed. Fighting no longer fits in. Fighting should not be a part of hockey.
Millions of kids in Canada, USA and Europe idolize hockey players. If the hockey players that they idolize fight, and people cheer on this player what does that tell kids? It tells kids that fighting is ok. This is not a good message. Many times there are fights to solve problems in a hockey game, so now you’re telling kids to solve their problems by fighting.
I don’t think we need the enforcer. They don’t actually play hockey, they just get two minutes of ice time to go out and fight. They also take up a roster spot that can be for a faster, more skilled, up and coming player who could make the game more entertaining. That is another reason why fighting should not be a part of hockey.
Let’s look at the facts. The least attended and least entertaining games are the preseason games. They have the most fighting in them with 60% of the games having fights last year. During the 07/08 regular season of last year, 38.46% of the games had fights. In the 07/08 playoffs just 8.23% of games had fights. In International events there is even less fighting than in the playoffs, and that has the best of the best playing hockey. So hockey fans can’t tell me that they go to hockey games to see fights. Truth is, you don’t.
Some people might argue that without fighting that there would be more cheap shots.
The NHL could stop cheap shots with harsher penalties. If fighting has been taken out of the game, and someone decides to run the starting goalie, there could be an automatic five-minute major, an ejection from the hockey game and a 25,000 dollar fine. The league can add a suspension depending on if they think there was a serious attempt to injure. Say the same player tries to do it again. The penalty could be the same only there is an automatic five game suspension, and the player and the team both get fined 50,000 dollars. If the player does it again the penalty is even harsher. Does it one more time, and he is kicked out of the league. Do you really think that players will start running the goalie if the penalty is that harsh? So you wouldn’t need players to fight.
I think Dave Hodge(a TSN sportscaster) said it the best, the red line was part of the game before they took it out and look how much more exciting games are now. Removing the red line was a major change that lead to more offence and therefore a more exciting game. I think they should do the same thing with fighting.
In the end fighting causes too many injuries and the game has changed. Fighting no longer fits in. Fighting should not be a part of hockey.
I tell ya, these kids today...all smart, thoughtful and non violent. What's this world coming to?
BTW, Brad's coming for your job, Stu.
