The OHL "instigator" rule application has always been odd to me. It SHOULD be used for situations like this, where one player is clearly more interested than the other. If you're still holding your stick and gloves when the other guy starts throwing, it's pretty clear. However, it tends to get used for fights that come after injuries, even if the players square off and all that equal stuff. I want to believe the OHL won't suspend Nesbitt but I'm not sold on that.
It’s a weird rule. I get them not wanting a third man in on clean hits. But how many ‘clean’ hits have we seen called the other way? If the hits clean, give em a game. If someone deliberately whacks your teammate upside the head with their stick, give that instigator to the idiot that caused the chaos by swinging his stick with intent to injure. 2 minute instigator, 5 minute major, (5 minute fighting), game misconduct, suspension. Maybe a 7 minute PK will force the team to crack down on their own players doing stupid things.
Officiating is too inconsistent to allow things to be up to the judgement of the officials lol.
You have games getting out of hand, to the point you got guys slinging cross-checks to the face, and heavy slashes, because they know if someone steps up to them, it often cancels out the penalties, or severely reduces a 5 minute major to a 3 minute shift. And if someone comes after you for slashing someone upside the head, well they’re out of the game for the next 17 minutes, and then you drop the gloves to defend yourself and it doesn’t count towards your fight limit.
I get protecting the kids, but I’d argue, and love to see the data that says stick jabs are less harmful than fighting is.
It’s not the year 2000. The goon role has been pushed out of hockey, even on the junior level.
Our guys that have hit the fight limit are leaders on and off the ice that are, or soon will be high drafted NHL prospects. It’s not like Nesbitt and Greentree were brought to Windsor because he can throw hands while standing on skates. They’re two of the highest ranked prospects in the country for their respective draft years.
That fight limit has to go. Or be pushed to 7. You can go once every 10 games. If you’re feeling the need to fight more than that, you’re probably in the wrong sport.
We have a lot of big dudes willing to step up, most teams don’t have that luxury. But even if you have 3 guys willing to go… doesn’t mean any of em are on the ice when the time is there.