Fighting has to go

[EazyE1]

IDK man. those computers at the bowling alley that keep your score? they might have germs on them. Probably ban that too. Oh and the bowling balls and shoes?! Could drop it and injure your toe.

Damn you could lose your money playing poker. BANNED.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

See, that's a truism that is... not true.

Goons did not protect him from shit. Ryan Reaves does not protect anybody from anything.

If anything, going out and getting a Ryan Reaves paints a bigger target on your back. Fighting fire with fire usually just results in more fire.

 

[Sheppy]

If you think hockey needs fighting to remain interesting, maybe you just don't like hockey.

Or you're completely content with how the game is right now. As a fan, I'd take a game with emotion, some nastiness over a game where two teams are going out there for a game of shinny.

It's not like there's brawls every night or anything.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

No? You don't think that players went into the Joe Louis Arena and thought a little differently with arguably the toughest guy to ever lace them up over there? Players and other teams tough guys legitimately said these things.

Because it is a truism. Like people think it changes something. Did enforcer make people feel safer? Yeah. Did it actually make it any safer? Nah.

If you look at the 80s and 90s, there were even more cheap shots than there are now. Elbows, sticks, etc.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Fair, but if you do this, you have to look at hitting as well, no? I'm curious on the data of what shortens careers more. Hits, or fights.

I would guess it's hits. But I think the argument is that hitting is a hockey play and much more integral to the game.

You're never going to eliminate concussion risk from hockey. But I can at least understand the logic behind looking at the concussion risk that stems from what's technically illegal.

 

[didimentionlarseller]

Enforcers did make hockey safer

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Or you're completely content with how the game is right now. As a fan, I'd take a game with emotion, some nastiness over a game where two teams are going out there for a game of shinny.

It's not like there's brawls every night or anything.

Regular season is getting tough to watch but some people like that type of perimeter skill hockey we get during reg season

 

[Sheppy]

Because it is a truism. Like people think it changes something. Did enforcer make people feel safer? Yeah. Did it actually make it any safer? Nah.

If you look at the 80s and 90s, there were even more cheap shots than there are now. Elbows, sticks, etc.

At the end of the day, if the whole point of this is to eliminate head trauma, you have to look at hitting too, no? I believe this causes more head injuries.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

If anything, going out and getting a Ryan Reaves paints a bigger target on your back. Fighting fire with fire usually just results in more fire.

Exactly. Hence why I said earlier that this whole culture is nothing more than "an eye for an eye". It is about revenge, not prevention... because it does not prevent anything, it just perpetuates a cycle of violence.

People find it entertaining, fair enough. People thought Christians being eaten alive by lions at the Coliseum was entertaining too. Things thankfully evolve.

 

[Midnight Judges]

Or you're completely content with how the game is right now. As a fan, I'd take a game with emotion, some nastiness over a game where two teams are going out there for a game of shinny.

It's not like there's brawls every night or anything.

You think there is no emotion in football, or soccer, or basketball?

 

[Beau Knows]

It is interesting that people will say hockey isn't the same without fighting, but then we all watch the Olympics where there's no fighting and it's often the best hockey played for years.

 

[Sheppy]

Regular season is getting tough to watch but some people like that type of perimeter skill hockey we get during reg season

And that's the thing. I enjoy a good skilled hockey game as well, those are great. I also enjoy when games have some nasty involved. I should be allowed to enjoy both.

 

[urho]

IDK man. those computers at the bowling alley that keep your score? they might have germs on them. Probably ban that too. Oh and the bowling balls and shoes?! Could drop it and injure your toe.

Damn you could lose your money playing poker. BANNED.

Your arguments are so well-crafted that I have to admit that I was wrong. Either we keep fighting part of this game or we have to ban everything!

 

[Random Comment]

Maybe a sport like badminton or curling would be more suited for you....

Fighting serves it purpose.
without it, and you see it all the time now where the rats come in and torment players.
no one to put an end to it when the refs ignore it

Thats the real purpose of it. to enforce the game.
if they take fighting out completely the rats will 100% take over the league and the cheap shots on our star players will only get worse

you should look at the bigger picture. unless you want a league full of Zack Kassians in it

Well then the league is bush if they need fighting to enforce the rules. How embarrassing for the NHL. No other team sport in NA needs fighting to protect players. I can guarantee you fighting will be all but gone by the end of this decade, with suspensions in place for any players who drops their gloves. I welcome the day, and I would bet the majority of hockey fans won’t care.

This thread is riling up all the “keep fighting fans”, which clearly is biasing the responses in here. Most reasonable fans won’t bother to comment in here, because they aren’t as easily irritated and argumentative as me and prefer to focus on the threads about hockey, not grown men throwing punches.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

At the end of the day, if the whole point of this is to eliminate head trauma, you have to look at hitting too, no? I believe this causes more head injuries.

My point is about a culture a violence. I did not mention head trauma. It is another reason to eliminate fighting.

When it comes to head trauma, well, yes, you have to look at hitting. Should we completely eliminate it? Probably not. Should way restrict hits to the head? Yes. The international rules are good on that front. The NHL has taken some steps in that direction.

 

[Sheppy]

You think there is no emotion in football, or soccer, or basketball?

I'm not a fan of either of those sports, but when did I ever say this?

 

[didimentionlarseller]

It is interesting that people will say hockey isn't the same without fighting, but then we all watch the Olympics where there's no fighting and it's often the best hockey played for years.

there’s not a lot of fighting in playoff hockey either I’m not sure what point this is making

collect all the best hockey players from all the countries mix in cheering for your nation and you get a great tournament how shocking

 

[EazyE1]

Hot dogs and nachos at the concession stand could be detrimental to your health. BANNED AND ILLEGAL

 

[Caps8112]

if anything the problem really is that there is not enough of the old fighting. Back when you had REAL fighters in the league, players had to watch what they did on the ice sort of like a code. Nowadays, you make any clean hit of any kind and you have to fight some overstimulated 3rd liner. The NHL has tightened up so many of the rules (some for good reasons) that now everyone is a tough guy and there is no code about how to play/hit/fight. A player shouldnt have to fight every time a hit is thrown. This came along around 2010 and has only gotten worse.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

I'm not sure how much you saw of probert if you think all he did was fight, yet guys like reaves and kassian do much more? really?

Probert is an exception, this was alluding to guys like Boogaard.

Boogey couldn’t do anything outside of fighting. His hockey skills were barely ECHL level.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Your arguments are so well-crafted that I have to admit that I was wrong. Either we keep fighting part of this game or we have to ban everything!

The slippery slope argument is the most deeply unserious, meaningless mush people put out there. Just admit you don't like change and be done with it instead of creating fictional strawmen to be angry at.

You can be for or against fighting, but one's stance on that issue is completely unconnected to...bowling shoes...good lord the scenarios people invent to get mad at.

 

[newfy]

Seems like an issue that the billion dollar league, players union, and players who make millions of dollars should worry about instead of nerds on HFboards personally.

Its been in the game forever for a reason and is universally wanted in the game by the actual players in the league for a reason as well

 

[DingerMcSlapshot]

Fair, but if you do this, you have to look at hitting as well, no? I'm curious on the data of what shortens careers more. Hits, or fights.

Hits and it's not even close.

 

[Doshell Propivo]

It's only a matter of time. 15-20 years from now it will be completely eliminated from the game. And fans will think, "they actually let them punch each other in the head repeatedly and only got a 5 min. penalty??"

It's already disappearing, mostly organically. Goons are by and large gone, especially in the playoffs (where fighting is pretty much non-existent).

Game misconducts for fighting are coming. As are full face shields.

 

[Crossfire Hurricane]

I wonder how pissed the "you can't change anything or it'll ruin the sport" people would have been when they started allowing forward passing in the offensive zone and for goalies to leave their feet to make a save.