Fighting in the NHL

[Rio56]

yes .. no .. what's your side ..the Mcgrattan fight is an eye opener .. do we need this in the NHL ?

[Clgy_Dave2.0]

All for it. 100%

[MountainTi]

Yep, without fighting, hitting, rough stuff, it would be just a snoozefest. Violence sells (to a degree). Check out boxing, MMA, ect...and see how and why it is so popular.
These guys are getting paid handsomely to do it as well

[huntsfurfish]

Wouldnt hurt my feelings if no fighting was implemented.

Used to think it was good to have. Not so much any more.

[slickwilly]

I don't mind it, but I think the game is better without it.

In the playoffs, when the game is the best, nobody drops the gloves. Having two stiff line up 2 minutes after somebody breaks an unwritten rule only slows down the game.

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by slickwilly

I don't mind it, but I think the game is better without it.

In the playoffs, when the game is the best, nobody drops the gloves. Having two stiff line up 2 minutes after somebody breaks an unwritten rule only slows down the game.

Best playoffs I have seen in a long time was 2 or 3 years ago. Philly and Pittsburgh. Lot's of gloves came off in that series. Wasn't just "enforcers" either. Fan of neither team, but watched most of the games

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by slickwilly

I don't mind it, but I think the game is better without it.

In the playoffs, when the game is the best, nobody drops the gloves. Having two stiff line up 2 minutes after somebody breaks an unwritten rule only slows down the game.

No one drops the gloves because the whistles are put away and men govern men with hacks, wacks, bone crunching body checks that in regular season would be called plus a scrape and get the instigator sets your team back for the extra dueze when the cup is on the line...
Three seasons, all with three levels of officiating, and levels of play, all in one season...

[wags]

Originally Posted by slickwilly

I don't mind it, but I think the game is better without it.

In the playoffs, when the game is the best, nobody drops the gloves. Having two stiff line up 2 minutes after somebody breaks an unwritten rule only slows down the game.

So you don't recall the Flames cup run not so many years ago, facing Tampa Bay in the finals, and Jarome Iginla and Vincent Lecavalier - both captains of their teams - dropped gloves?

Yes fighting has an important role in the game. It allows frustrations to be vented, it allows for dealing with cheap shots, it swings momentum, it invigorates the team, it excites the fans, and it sells tickets.

Cheers

[histyle]

Yes, fighting is a part of hockey. Do you think for a second Wayne Gretzky would have had the career he did without Semenko, Brown, or Mcsorley looking out for him? Nobody took liberties with him (except the Richardson hit) because of the fear factor. Mario Lemieux might have had a longer career if he had a true enforcer looking out for him.

Most importantly, it's two grown men choosing to fight.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Clgy_Dave2.0

All for it. 100%

Yep, if officials loose control, league does not send a message, game goes south we'll meet a few knuckles, teams get pumped, crowed gets pumped...but of course you are going to have the oh my people ...seems to be the ones running our society now

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

Yep, if officials loose control, league does not send a message, game goes south we'll meet a few knuckles, teams get pumped, crowed gets pumped...but of course you are going to have the oh my people ...seems to be the ones running our society now

Oh my!

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

Oh my!

Please,you would sucker punch tha Habs fan beside you just because....

[Rio56]

for me personally I have a few reservations about the fighting ..first off I don't have any kids in the hockey sport but do have many friends and relatives that do so I think I have some center ice feed back ...
Question is how do we
discipline our kids to watch and even play that type of game on the ice and when they walk out the front door of the arena .. OH wait you can't do that in public..

[Skybuster]

I think any time you get some very talented, competitive athletes engaged in a sport where they are slamming their bodies together, trying to knock each other over, you are going to have fights. It is inevitable. Should they be penalized when they take that extra step, absolutely. Should the league try to minimize the fighting, absolutely. But there will be fights.

What does disgust me, what I really abhor, is the fan reaction. I don’t mean cheering for your champion in a fight. But watch the McGratten video. He goes down and is obviously out cold. The fans are roaring, laughing. They see it as a great lark. I even hear one guy call him an a-hole while he lays unconscious on the ice. In most fights, two combatants square off and generally one bests the other, and having his fans cheer him uproariously while the two skate to the box, is great. But when someone goes down hard, a little respect is required. Continued cheering, catcalls, whistles and name-calling is very poor taste.

Watch the Colton vs Parros fight. When Parros goes over the top and smacks the ice with his face and lays there unconscious, the fans go very quiet. Noone is ecstatic that this athlete is injured in this manner. Even Colton immediately realizes the situation and backs off, waving for the medical team to come over.

Perhaps that is the difference between lower level fans and top level fans; class.

[reddeerguy2015]

Its part of the game.

There are well known risks to playing the game, injuries - and specifically brain injuries are part of that.

Accept or don't play??

[220swifty]

As far as 'need' goes, no it isn't needed. That being said, neither is hitting, or curved sticks, or a lot of things for that matter. The game can be played without these things, but how entertaining is it?

Watch the video of the McGrattan fight, and listen to the crowd. Tell me what the average fan thinks of fighting in hockey, and then draw your own conclusion to the impact it would have removing it from the big show.

[MahoganyMan]

I believe fighting a natural instinct within hockey starting young. It would take a looooong time to phase it out.

Oh and yes.

[kmacisaac]

Originally Posted by 220swifty

As far as 'need' goes, no it isn't needed. That being said, neither is hitting, or curved sticks, or a lot of things for that matter. The game can be played without these things, but how entertaining is it?

Watch the video of the McGrattan fight, and listen to the crowd. Tell me what the average fan thinks of fighting in hockey, and then draw your own conclusion to the impact it would have removing it from the big show.

I agree, and anyone that signs a contract knows what they are signing on to. McGrattan even acknowledged himself that the enforcer role is a job that is slowly being forgotten at an NHL level.....but if teams are going to pay someone with less skill to do it...well, there will always be someone ready to take that cheque.

[ETOWNCANUCK]

Without fighting it's just a few guys on skates...

Might as well call it figure skating.

I like watching a hockey fight, and a game breaks out.

[mich]

You take the emotion out of the game and you are left with what we have now in the nhl....crap hockey. Over paid coasters that are boring to watch. The staged fighting is a joke, bring back the animals.... long live the Hansons

[reddeerguy2015]

Seriously though fighting, to some degree, or the possibility of it - changes the scope of the game.

Especially come playoff time, and you KNOW the same arsehole is targeting you EVERY NIGHT.

It what makes the game exciting, not only to watch but especially to play.

Psycologically - it is a game changer. What would it be otherwise ?? A bunch of 250lb guys prancing around each other.

Lame.

Keep it up.

[Smokey]

Its going to be gone in 5 years. Amazed it is not already. I am ok with that. Never had a problem with 2 guys going at it in the heat of the moment, however the staged fight is a disgusting side show. I think the NHL will change before its forced too.

I can watched youtube highlights of Wendy and Probby., back when they were men in the league. Half the fights now are two guys hugging while hitting each others visors, Guys don't swing much any more, its become hold on for dear life.

[RavYak]

No and it should have been gone a long time ago.

If you want to watch a fight watch UFC or boxing where the guys actually are capable fighters...

That isn't to say fighting still won't happen, even if you get rid of it like what most other sports have done/tried to do there are still going to be the odd fight when things get out of hand. The difference is just in the punishment, instead of being cheered you get a fine/suspension.

[ETOWNCANUCK]

A hockey fight is as Canadian as you can get

If you can't appreciate everything that is Canadian

I hear Syria has some vacancies