Can "Fighting is bad for the sport" now be dispelled?

[JaegerDice]

I think the argument is not that fighting is not exciting but rather that it is bad for the players brains

I dunno. I watch sports where the only activity is fighting, so I can't have the moral high ground on this one LOL

I watch UFC and dislike fighting in the NHL. Primarily because NHL players are not particularly good at the craft of combat, even before they opt to do it balancing on skates.

Health concerns aside, I watch hockey for HOCKEY. If I want to watch to men fight, Ill watch the professionals that are actually GOOD at it.

 

[AfroThunder396]

Let's see how many of these Four Nations viewers become watching and paying NHL fans before we start taking a victory lap.

 

[End on a Hinote]

Without getting political, no. The fights, along with the game itself, were about more than hockey.

People will go back to hating fights on Saturday.

 

[Stephen]

By its very nature, there’s something of a high wire act about hockey.

It’s a high skill sport played under the threat of danger. High skilled plays executed with an element of risk, done so at high speed is the whole appeal of the sport.

Dialled up emotions and outbursts of fighting and big hits are part of what makes the skill aspect more valuable.

 

[FinPanda]

I feel like fighting is mostly appreciated in North America where it is a part of the hockey culture. I can't imagine the same in Europe.. then again it is allowed in North America with 5 minutes penalty when it Europe if you fight, you will be out of the game. There is just no way to build potential culture here because of it being considered "wrong".

 

[Relapsing]

Staged fights cheapen the game.

While it was fun to see in the moment, hearing after that it was all planned ahead of time left a sour taste in my mouth. I'm glad Canada stood up for themselves. I continue to find new depths to how little I respect the US team.

 

[Tryblot]

Right after that Isles prospect incident in the Q?

The Chucklehead brothers doing silly shit last game that is getting hype for what COULD happen next game, does not end the debate in favor of fighting being good for the sport. Nor does the Q incident end the debate in the other direction.

You're allowed to like fighting. It's kind of silly that so many pro-fight guys, despite currently getting what they want, are still going to be unhappy with the situation unless everyone else tells them they are right and cool for thinking that lol.

That was a tough situation. I watched the Saturday night game and loved every second of the fighting between usa and canada, and then when I saw the fight with the islanders player on Monday it puts thing into perspective a little bit.

There's no doubt that fans love it, but unfortunately when you lose your helmet bad things can happen. I don't know how you counteract it.

 

[Relapsing]

Out of curiousity, do you consider Saturdays events premeditated or spontaneous?

I don't know how anyone could think they weren't premeditated at this point. The confession has been signed, sealed, and delivered.

 

[tarheelhockey]

The idea that they could make money from fighting was never in question.

The problem is the NHL lost all sense of proportion for about 40 years. At the core, fighting was always about the money. But we heard every excuse under the sun for how it wasn’t a commercial product, honest! CTE studies finally put the NHL in a position where they’d need to go to court and defend that stance against a multi-generational archive of evidence. And to the shock of nobody, that was around the same time they passed a couple of rules which got rid of 90% of fighting.

I’ve heard very, very few people suggest the remaining fights should be persecuted to extinction. There are fights in every sport, no reason hockey should be different. But the NHL has an extensive track record showing it will throw all sense of safety and sanity out the window if there’s even a hint of money involved.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Fighting was never bad for the sport. It's when you have everyone invested in the game.

What was bad for the sport pertaining to fighting was the NHL basicaly gaslighting anyone who mentioned CTE.

There were too many people who just associated CTE with fighting and seemed to be completely oblivious to hitting being just as big, if not bigger factor to CTE.

People who don't like fighting "because it has no place" can catch a boat to f***offity land.

The players are more than aware as to the complications that could arise. Just like truck drivers and their health, or working with radioactive isotopes, or people who work shift work.

 

[SteelCityCannon]

Out of curiousity, do you consider Saturdays events premeditated or spontaneous?

That's a better question for them honestly. Obviously them trying to stir it up was premeditated.

It was exciting but imagine that breaking out after a big play or a big hit or something. Would have been even better.

 

[Oilslick941611]

I dont care for fighting.

I thought the second and third fight were stupid on saturday. It was a clown show.

 

[JaegerDice]

Fighting was never bad for the sport. It's when you have everyone invested in the game.

What was bad for the sport pertaining to fighting was the NHL basicaly gaslighting anyone who mentioned CTE.

There were too many people who just associated CTE with fighting and seemed to be completely oblivious to hitting being just as big, if not bigger factor to CTE.

People who don't like fighting "because it has no place" can catch a boat to f***offity land.

The players are more than aware as to the complications that could arise. Just like truck drivers and their health, or working with radioactive isotopes, or people who work shift work.

Fighting has a place, it should simply result in 5 and a game.

You want to fight? Cool. Make damn sure its worth it, then GTFO so the hockey can continue.

 

[Toby91ca]

I mean, listen to that arena. 20,000 people losing their minds.

I liked it too...up to a point. I mean...by the end of the 3 fights I was thinking.....can we get the game going now?

 

[JaegerDice]

I would imagine checking to the head is worse than fighting, I mean how many fights does the average goon get into per season?

A check to head is supposed to result in a misconduct and a suspension.

If fights resulted in the same, this comparison would be more legitimate.

 

[Doublerum1975]

People make a living doing it so why should anybody care if you don’t like don’t watch

 

[dirtydanglez]

the issue was the staged fights. everyone loves the legit fights.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

The right kind of fights are great. The wrong kind of fights suck.

 

[Martin Skoula]

I don’t care if the fights are staged as long as they’re staged between guys that matter to the team outside of fighting. Career enforcers is a morally indefensible job, Lecavalier vs Iginla or the 3 fights Saturday is great. If Tkachuk decides that fighting is no longer a risk he wants to take, he’s free to do so and will continue to get the same minutes and the same money, his job is not at risk. Your 4 minute a night enforcer can’t decide to stop fighting without also getting an immediate 90% pay reduction and lower qualify of life in the AHL.

 

[ijuka]

Every single person is talking about the fights at the start of the game. There are some fans (who are entitled to their opinion) who believe fighting is from a bygone era, and they are wrong IMO. Fighting (and big hits) are the best marketing tool the NHL has.

If the NHL was smart, they would start including hits/fights in their game summary highlights again. Whoever made that call to remove them is wrong.

Who's talking about these obviously staged fights? The ones who never follow the sport so they eat up the bs the tv channel tells them about those fights being somehow bloodthirsty or serious instead of being obviously staged?

 

[ORRFForever]

I don't like fighting.

 

[trostol]

The staged fights need to go....some fisticuffs in the flow isn't bad

 

[Gjman2019]

It's useless ...

If it stays it stays i guess....Not really that important either way.............I'm over it though....

 

[Budz]

Plain and simple - I like allowing players to be able to police each other through the odd scrap. It’s safer imo.

I personally don’t enjoy staged fighting that serves no purpose. In fact, it gets old and does the opposite of it’s intention.

I do not believe this series fight was without merit.

 

[Strangle]

Staged fights cheapen the game.

While it was fun to see in the moment, hearing after that it was all planned ahead of time left a sour taste in my mouth. I'm glad Canada stood up for themselves. I continue to find new depths to how little I respect the US team.

No one can really find a way to respect tkchump brothers

But Matthew losing to Hagel and Miller getting absolutely destroyed was fun for us canadians

Unfortunately bennet is just a terrible fighter and player in general. Was happy to see him get tossed around

If Muzzin could have played that game you’d get to watch an American player cry real tears lol