Fighting in Hockey

talloola

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 14, 2006
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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.

The same thing will happen someday during an nhl fight, they try to pull each
others helmets off, or, just take their own off, makes them vulnerable.
Maybe they should get extra minutes if helmet comes off, then maybe they
will think twice as they just punch the helmet anyway.
I repeat, they are trying to remove shots to the head, that is what a fight is.
Tighten them, they are pretty useless the way they wear them, and also,
I see a few players skating around with their mouth guard sticking out, someone
is going to get that thing knocked down their throats too.
Not too many cheap shots anymore, and of course there will always be some,
with or without fighting, refereeing is calling stick work pretty close, the sticks have to
be used responsibly now, since the lockout.
 

talloola

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 14, 2006
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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:

yeah, he denied it, but I wouldn't believe him at any time, and it was pretty
evident on video, and the guy who got bitten isn't a whiner, he's a tough guy,
and says the last time he saw that was in Tyson fight.
 

talloola

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 14, 2006
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Fighting is such a small part of the NHL these days, yet we have people in this thread bemoaning the loss of skills in the game etc, give your heads a shake. Compare the number of fights in the 70's & 80's compared to now, it is significantly lower. hell, lots of teams don't even employ "goons" anymore.

Hockey is a tough game, there will be fights, there will be injuries and you have about a 1 in 50 million chance of dying from it.

At least 50% of the fights are 'staged', and those players 'help' each other keep
up their images, better have a fight every 'so often', so that coach will keep
them, for their tough guy image.
That is roller derby mentality.
 

shadowshiv

Dark Overlord
May 29, 2007
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yeah, he denied it, but I wouldn't believe him at any time, and it was pretty
evident on video, and the guy who got bitten isn't a whiner, he's a tough guy,
and says the last time he saw that was in Tyson fight.

The video proof is pretty solid. They zoomed in on the guy's hand and you could see the mark where he got bit.
 

Unforgiven

Force majeure
May 28, 2007
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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...

Answer me this, you and I have teams in the final 7. First game I send a guy out on the ice that can't really play at all and he just stands there waiting for your star player to skate by. As he does the goon knees your star player ending his year and probably giving my team an easy win. Now you can suspend him if you want, fine him if you like, hell kick him out of the NHL for all I care, I'll give him a few million bucks that he would never get working else where and we'll enjoy our Stanley Cup win and all those endorsements.

Of course I will swear up and down that he was a team member that made an unfortunate mistake, which he will nod his head in agreement with.

Just don't think of trying to retaliate or anything. That's not very sportsman like.

So whose team do you think will be successful and who will be looking for a new coaching job probably in the minors somewhere?

Hockey is a tough game. The NHL is the premier league because of the style of game played. Fighting has it's place in hockey and the more we attempt to remove it from the game the more star players are going to be sidelined and have careers ended.
 

talloola

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 14, 2006
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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...
The skill in the nhl is much higher now, than ever before, the goons who can't
skate or play worth a damn, can't make the team any more.
The speed of todays game automatically eliminates those players. Don Cherry
is only there for his own bank account, and he is an ole boy anyway, and has
that mentality, really doesn't understand the new game, he called detroit a
european style team, and says they are boring, shows his level of intelligence.
When you have the puck most of the time, you don't need to fight, and other
teams have to figure out how to skate and pass as good as you, the faster the
game, the more exciting, and it is amazing how good many players are now,
and
can skate at top speed and make plays at the same time.
The only thing left that drags our game down to a 'circus' level is fighting.
 

gopher

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 26, 2005
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''Wrong, gopher. I have been to many NLL games and have seen plenty of fights''


NLL is a joke.

I wrote MLL -- that's REAL lacrosse and it does NOT allow fighting.
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
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Which do absolutely nothing to deter that person from doing it again and again.

I don't think they (Gary Bettman or whoever the head honcho is these days) want to stop them from doing it again and again, I think it's more to do with keeping all the fans happy, so that the "playing field" is tipped ever so slightly in favour of skills over hooliganism.
 

TenPenny

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 9, 2004
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Answer me this, you and I have teams in the final 7. First game I send a guy out on the ice that can't really play at all and he just stands there waiting for your star player to skate by. As he does the goon knees your star player ending his year and probably giving my team an easy win. Now you can suspend him if you want, fine him if you like, hell kick him out of the NHL for all I care, I'll give him a few million bucks that he would never get working else where and we'll enjoy our Stanley Cup win and all those endorsements.
In that case, the coach should be fired, and the team fined several million dollars.

Hockey is about puck control and skill, with a decent amount of clean checking.

NHL players wear helmets now, there's no reason they can't be brought up to not fight. You don't see many fights in baseball, because it's not condoned.
 

Unforgiven

Force majeure
May 28, 2007
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In that case, the coach should be fired, and the team fined several million dollars.

Hockey is about puck control and skill, with a decent amount of clean checking.

NHL players wear helmets now, there's no reason they can't be brought up to not fight. You don't see many fights in baseball, because it's not condoned.

The line between a clean check and a dirty check can get very tricky.
So do you simply ban every coach whose defencemen touch another player and fine them out of business?

Look at Soccer, the slightest touch and guys hit the ground rolling around. They are up and trotting around the moment an opponent is carded.

Hockey is a hard hitting game. If that really bothers someone what the hell are they doing watching hockey?
 

DurkaDurka

Internet Lawyer
Mar 15, 2006
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Toronto
At least 50% of the fights are 'staged', and those players 'help' each other keep
up their images, better have a fight every 'so often', so that coach will keep
them, for their tough guy image.
That is roller derby mentality.

Staged? Give me a break. The guys who fight know what is expected of them and when need be, they drop the gloves. Granted, most fights are just dances but they certainly are not staged.
 

DurkaDurka

Internet Lawyer
Mar 15, 2006
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Toronto
The skill in the nhl is much higher now, than ever before, the goons who can't
skate or play worth a damn, can't make the team any more.
The speed of todays game automatically eliminates those players. Don Cherry
is only there for his own bank account, and he is an ole boy anyway, and has
that mentality, really doesn't understand the new game, he called detroit a
european style team, and says they are boring, shows his level of intelligence.
When you have the puck most of the time, you don't need to fight, and other
teams have to figure out how to skate and pass as good as you, the faster the
game, the more exciting, and it is amazing how good many players are now,
and
can skate at top speed and make plays at the same time.
The only thing left that drags our game down to a 'circus' level is fighting.

The skill is higher then when? Like the 80's when it was regular for players to score 140+ points per season? You have a pretty short memory span when it comes to skill in this league, Tallola.
 

DurkaDurka

Internet Lawyer
Mar 15, 2006
10,385
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Toronto
''Wrong, gopher. I have been to many NLL games and have seen plenty of fights''


NLL is a joke.

I wrote MLL -- that's REAL lacrosse and it does NOT allow fighting.

Sure Gopher, smoke another one pal. You haven't the slightest clue as to what constitutes a real sport.
 

DurkaDurka

Internet Lawyer
Mar 15, 2006
10,385
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Toronto
In that case, the coach should be fired, and the team fined several million dollars.

Hockey is about puck control and skill, with a decent amount of clean checking.

NHL players wear helmets now, there's no reason they can't be brought up to not fight. You don't see many fights in baseball, because it's not condoned.

You don't have baseball players in each others faces hitting each other either except for the odd runner-catcher collision. The dynamic of hockey is so different then baseball or basketball that comparing the two is nonsensical.
 

Colpy

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 5, 2005
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Don Cherry is a complete moron.........I saw the stupid prick's comments at the funeral, what a dumb-ass!

I am ashamed that he is a Canadian icon.
 

Spade

Ace Poster
Nov 18, 2008
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Don Cherry is a complete moron.........I saw the stupid prick's comments at the funeral, what a dumb-ass!

I am ashamed that he is a Canadian icon.

I saw the clip you mention. It explains volumes why he attended the funeral.
 

gopher

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 26, 2005
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''You haven't the slightest clue as to what constitutes a real sport. ''


Horsesh*t, buddy. In the NLL they don't win through skill. Instead, it is through fights and roughness. That's nothing more than bloodsport suitable only for those who groove on gladiator movies.
 

DurkaDurka

Internet Lawyer
Mar 15, 2006
10,385
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Toronto
''You haven't the slightest clue as to what constitutes a real sport. ''


Horsesh*t, buddy. In the NLL they don't win through skill. Instead, it is through fights and roughness. That's nothing more than bloodsport suitable only for those who groove on gladiator movies.

No skill eh? You haven't a clue. Seems all the best junior players end up in the NLL. Have you ever even played lacrosse? I doubt it.