Fighting is what killed the NHL on USA television. Heck, even senior bowling got higher ratings than the Stanley Cup Championship.
In my years of watching NHL (which, thankfully, I don't do anymore) I've seen a player get killed, another have his eye gouged out, several rendered unconscious by sticks or by fists, two stabbed in the face or forehead by skates, several riots, and many deliberately caused injuries!
If you want to call that 'sport', help yourself. I call it pathetic as do most Yanks nowadays.
Yeah, Yanks find shooting children in Iraq a much more exhilarating sport.
I'm not surprised Americans don't have the stones for a real mans game.