Fighting in Hockey

[JLM]

yup, people should stop playing sports entirely, take up proper hobbies like collecting stamps.

No they should just play the sport for the sake of improving the skills, some of the best hockey I've seen is the young kids playing non contact hockey and they have as much fun as anyone- to enjoy bashing and getting bashed is just a sign of a low mentality. Hey, collecting stamps, great educational hobby, great teacher of geography and history.

 

[talloola]

No they should just play the sport for the sake of improving the skills, some of the best hockey I've seen is the young kids playing non contact hockey and they have as much fun as anyone- to enjoy bashing and getting bashed is just a sign of a low mentality. Hey, collecting stamps, great educational hobby, great teacher of geography and history.

I'm in total agreement with you, (not about no contact hockey, but, the fighting.)I've watched hockey for many many years, and
been involved with all my kids, and my husband played for years.
The fighting is silly, it is mostly planned, you can see them talking to each other and making their arrangements. The fights are actually stupid looking,
they punch each other's helmets, and for the most part, hardly even land
punches, and many are on the helmet, so the knuckles get cut up.
The junior games do not allow fighting, and they were some of the most
exciting games I've seen. Of course Don Cherry would be heartbroken. He
would exclaim that if you don't let them fight they will use their sticks more,
I don't agree, just take it out of the game, the game is fast, tough, good body
checking and lots of crashing and banging, the fights are 'goofy' and a waste
of time, and seem to be allowed for entertainment only.
Throwing them out of the game would stop the fighting immediately.
I remember a few years ago, iginla got into a fight with a canuck, and he was
injured and out of the game for quite awhile, I think he hurt his leg while
trying to keep his balance, or when falling, not sure.
It puts our game into the 'roller derby' catagory, and it looks tacky.
It's amazing to me that, there is so much complaining about taking hits to the
head out of the game, yet, they let people fight and hit each other's heads.
Go figure.

 

[JLM]

I'm in total agreement with you, (not about no contact hockey, but, the fighting.)I've watched hockey for many many years, and
been involved with all my kids, and my husband played for years.
The fighting is silly, it is mostly planned, you can see them talking to each other and making their arrangements. The fights are actually stupid looking,
they punch each other's helmets, and for the most part, hardly even land
punches, and many are on the helmet, so the knuckles get cut up.
The junior games do not allow fighting, and they were some of the most
exciting games I've seen. Of course Don Cherry would be heartbroken. He
would exclaim that if you don't let them fight they will use their sticks more,
I don't agree, just take it out of the game, the game is fast, tough, good body
checking and lots of crashing and banging, the fights are 'goofy' and a waste
of time, and seem to be allowed for entertainment only.
Throwing them out of the game would stop the fighting immediately.
I remember a few years ago, iginla got into a fight with a canuck, and he was
injured and out of the game for quite awhile, I think he hurt his leg while
trying to keep his balance, or when falling, not sure.
It puts our game into the 'roller derby' catagory, and it looks tacky.
It's amazing to me that, there is so much complaining about taking hits to the
head out of the game, yet, they let people fight and hit each other's heads.
Go figure.

Again your wisdom shines.

 

[Kreskin]

I noticed in the junior final that a Swede was biting a guy. Another trying to smear a players face in the ice. Is it any wonder some guys want to punch someone in the head? That garbage wouldn't happen at that level if a scrap was worth five minutes and nothing more. There were a few Swedes that needed a good swift kick in the ass.

 

[talloola]

I noticed in the junior final that a Swede was biting a guy. Another trying to smear a players face in the ice. Is it any wonder some guys want to punch someone in the head? That garbage wouldn't happen at that level if a scrap was worth five minutes and nothing more. There were a few Swedes that needed a good swift kick in the ass.

Sure it would have happened, the fight would have broken out when the guys
face got smeared into the ice.
And, kids that age are so full of testerone, that if they were allowed to fight,
there would have been many many fights at that tournament.
That wouldn't add to it quality of the tournament at all, it would pull it
down to a lower level.
The height of excitement of that tournament was great, without a fight.

I've never seen a swedish team play in this manner, I was thinking that they
purposly planned this type of play to be more like the canadians, and they
did a very bad job of it. They are usually very talented and smooth players,
not sure why they chose to ruin that image.
I remember going to the new westminster bruins junior games long ago, and
they had 'some' fights, I must say, usually ended up as brawls. I'm very glad
that is a thing of the past now, as there are families at those games, young
kids who are players, little girls and wives, can't think of anything positive
by having a mixed group like that having to sit there and witness that kind
of behavior.
Actually not sure if it is a thing of the past, maybe it is just international
hockey that bans fighting, but I'm glad, and I am an avid hockey fan who
loves the game, not the fights.
I've always noticed how the fighting seem to rile up the crowd, many people
really enjoy it, watching two people (or more) punching each others heads
in, seeing the blood flow, there are other sports that call for that type
of action, not hockey.

 

[JLM]

"I've always noticed how the fighting seem to rile up the crowd, many people
really enjoy it, watching two people (or more) punching each others heads
in, seeing the blood flow, there are other sports that call for that type
of action, not hockey."- Yep, unfortunately, some of the fan's mentality is worse than that of the players, there has to be a valid reason why Don Cherry earns the big bucks. It's a fact that a lot of people agree with his mentality.

 

[DurkaDurka]

Does the fighting in lacrosse bother you?


The NCAA does not allow fighting in lacrosse or hockey. Nor does the professional MLL.

Inside Lacrosse - Inside Lacrosse Magazine Classic: Fighting in the NLL

Wrong, gopher. I have been to many NLL games and have seen plenty of fights.

"The National Lacrosse League has accepted this situation. In the past couple years the league has tried to limit fights and hold them to one-on-one fisticuffs rather than bench-clearing riots. Teams are allowed to dress just 15 runners a game so there isn't much room for goons like there is in Canadian boxla, where most of the NLL's players come from. Referees have been urged to cut off fights before they happen if situations warrant it. Players earn automatic 5-minute major penalties for fighting, the second of which brings a game misconduct ejection, and instigation, aggression, face masking and roughing charges can bloat time in the penalty box."

 

[DurkaDurka]

No they should just play the sport for the sake of improving the skills, some of the best hockey I've seen is the young kids playing non contact hockey and they have as much fun as anyone- to enjoy bashing and getting bashed is just a sign of a low mentality. Hey, collecting stamps, great educational hobby, great teacher of geography and history.

I agree that fighting should not be a part of a minor hockey, developing skill and having fun should be the first business of order. I personally don't care for the fighting at the NHL level, it's rather boring but it is part of the game. There needs to be a response when you have agitators & dirty players talking cheap shots at your best players.

 

[Spade]

I watched the Junior World Championships. With skills and desire at those levels, the NHL wouldn't need fighting to market its product! Of course, to sell the game in Tampa Bay or Fort Lauderdale, well....

 

[Risus]

yup, people should stop playing sports entirely, take up proper hobbies like collecting stamps.

Once again you spew nonsense.

Fighting has no place in hockey. What other sport condones it? The NFL, CFL, NBA, NASCAR automatically hand out game suspensions for fighting. Soccer, cricket, rugby, lawn bowling, darts, etc etc leagues do not allow fighting. The NHL could ban fighting if they wanted to. Like what someone posted elsewherfe in this thread, fighting is killing hockey. The only one promoting fighting in the NHL is Don Cherry, and he has an interest in selling his videos. Sure some blood thirsty fans want to see fights just as there are sickos who want to see big wrecks in auto races. There is no place for goons any more. If players and teams had skill, they wouldn't have to resort to fighting and other boorish actions to try to win...

 

[Risus]

Cherry in praise of fighting to sell the game!

YouTube - NHL on NBC - Cherry OWNS Hull

Don Cherry is an idiot. Thats all that can be said about him...

 

[DurkaDurka]

Risus, stop reading everything literally for christs sake, I was being sarcastic.

Risus, how about Lacrosse, arguably the most similar to hockey at the pro level. Guess what? Fights happen there too. The fact that you compared NASCAR to the NHL shows that you might not have the slightest clue as to what you are talking about.

How is fighting killing hockey? Show me some statistics that correlates a decrease in attendance at NHL games due to fighting. If anything is killing hockey, it's the welfare teams of the southern US that continually need bailouts from the NHL.

 

[DurkaDurka]

Don Cherry is an idiot. Thats all that can be said about him...

Is there anything you like in life?

 

[shadowshiv]

It is not fighting that is hurting all the players right now, it is the cheap shots. Hitting from behind, hitting knee-on-knee, using the stick as a weapon, etc. There are too many loud-mouths that are dirty because they know they can get away with it without physical retaliation due to the Instigator rule. If they got rid of that, and allowed the players to protect their teammates, then the cheap shots would go down. Fighting is part of hockey, and as long as it is a one-on-one fight with both people being aware of it then I am fine with it. Sucker punching is not something that I agree with, though.

The reason the fellow in the OP died is that his helmet came off during the fight and his head hit the ice. If his helmet had been tied on properly this probably could have been avoided. The players need to ensure their hemlets are attached properly. As uncomfortable as they are, they are mandatory to wear for a reason.

 

[DurkaDurka]

It is not fighting that is hurting all the players right now, it is the cheap shots. Hitting from behind, hitting knee-on-knee, using the stick as a weapon, etc. There are too many loud-mouths that are dirty because they know they can get away with it without physical retaliation due to the Instigator rule. If they got rid of that, and allowed the players to protect their teammates, then the cheap shots would go down. Fighting is part of hockey, and as long as it is a one-on-one fight with both people being aware of it then I am fine with it. Sucker punching is not something that I agree with, though.

The reason the fellow in the OP died is that his helmet came off during the fight and his head hit the ice. If his helmet had been tied on properly this probably could have been avoided. The players need to ensure their hemlets are attached properly. As uncomfortable as they are, they are mandatory to wear for a reason.

Well said, Shadow. That about sums it up.

 

[shadowshiv]

I noticed in the junior final that a Swede was biting a guy. Another trying to smear a players face in the ice. Is it any wonder some guys want to punch someone in the head? That garbage wouldn't happen at that level if a scrap was worth five minutes and nothing more. There were a few Swedes that needed a good swift kick in the ass.

That idiot from the Sens, Ruutuu, must have watched that game and took notes. He bit a guy's thumb during the Ottawa/Buffalo game last night. He got suspended two games today.:roll:

 

[shadowshiv]

Well said, Shadow. That about sums it up.

Thank you.

 

[Risus]

Is there anything you like in life?

Yes, but certainly not Don Cherry whose ego is to big to fit through the door. The man likes to hear himself talk and says some pretty stupid things.

 

[TenPenny]

There needs to be a response when you have agitators & dirty players talking cheap shots at your best players.

There are these things called penalties.

 

[shadowshiv]

There are these things called penalties.

Which do absolutely nothing to deter that person from doing it again and again.