Fighting in the NHL

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5thhorseman
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Re: Fighting in the NHL

Post by 5thhorseman »

Strangelove wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 6:33 pm
5thhorseman wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 6:30 pm Ya I think if you have a 20-game suspension (with pay docked) for fighting you won't see much fighting.

Whether that's a good idea is another question.
How about 20-game suspensions (with pay docked) for Micky's "kneeing, kicking, butt ending, spearing, even spitting"?
Sure, if you want to immediately stamp that out as well, then punish it into oblivion.

Again, I'm not saying it's a good idea.
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Re: Fighting in the NHL

Post by ESQ »

5thhorseman wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 6:13 am
Strangelove wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 6:33 pm
5thhorseman wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 6:30 pm Ya I think if you have a 20-game suspension (with pay docked) for fighting you won't see much fighting.

Whether that's a good idea is another question.
How about 20-game suspensions (with pay docked) for Micky's "kneeing, kicking, butt ending, spearing, even spitting"?
Sure, if you want to immediately stamp that out as well, then punish it into oblivion.

Again, I'm not saying it's a good idea.
An interesting discussion, considering I don't spend much time thinking about hockey fighting at all - it's pretty irrelevant to what's going on in the game now.

So fighting is "banned", in that it's a 5 minute penalty. Instigating is banned as an extra 2 min penalty and a misconduct. I don't personally believe it, but people like Don Cherry say the instigator rule ruined the game, because it deters players from seeking on-ice justice/retribution/"keeping the game clean" or whatever.

If an extra 2 min and a misconduct is such a huge deterrent that it's had a massive effect (which I don't believe, because guys take instigators all the time), then do the same to fighting. Fewer staged fights (which we all think are lame), and when a guy is really pissed off he'll still drop the mitts and take the bigger penalty. It would also remove the fired-up goons from the game for longer stretches.

If you want to totally get rid of it, I guess you go the IIHF route? What's that, a 2-game suspension or something like that?

But I think the reality about fighting in the game is the guys don't want to do it. Goons in the 70s/80s were happy to stand and take punches for a paycheque, and guys today that are taking their bodies to the physical limit aren't willing to jeopardize their health for hockey fights.

They don't want to stand and trade per the Code, they want to take the other guy down and not risk a concussion or broken hand. They don't even take off their helmets ffs, what kind of KO punch are you going to see on a helmeted guy?

I'm ambivalent about hockey fighting, I'm happy when it's organic and emotional response, but staged fights don't really get me going.

I'd be happier to not have more Rick Rypiens and Boogards dying way too young, or seeing Donald Brashear working at a Timmy's drive-thru after retiring.
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Re: Fighting in the NHL

Post by Cornuck »

ESQ wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 8:05 am But I think the reality about fighting in the game is the guys don't want to do it. Goons in the 70s/80s were happy to stand and take punches for a paycheque, and guys today that are taking their bodies to the physical limit aren't willing to jeopardize their health for hockey fights.

They don't want to stand and trade per the Code, they want to take the other guy down and not risk a concussion or broken hand. They don't even take off their helmets ffs, what kind of KO punch are you going to see on a helmeted guy?

I'm ambivalent about hockey fighting, I'm happy when it's organic and emotional response, but staged fights don't really get me going.

I'd be happier to not have more Rick Rypiens and Boogards dying way too young, or seeing Donald Brashear working at a Timmy's drive-thru after retiring.
I think this is what will lead to the reduced role in fighting. If you have a roster full of players, and not fighters - then you consider guys like Horvat, who don't want to drop the gloves, but will (reluctantly) when 'needed'. A guy making a few million a year has a lot of reasons not to rish brain damage. It's a business decision not to fight.

There's fewer and fewer spots open in the league for someone who can make the team based on his fighting skills more than his playing skills. At some point, there won't be any - and the few fights left will be emotional, spur of the moment events. It might not be too long until fights are as common as penalty shots.
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Re: Fighting in the NHL

Post by Madcombinepilot »

Nice thread. Thanks Megs for having the thought, Corny for making a conversation out of it, and Doc for keeping Ghomes from flinging diapers all over it with 100 posts.

The game has changed from the days of Cherry saying the players were 'keeping it clean'. Back then, (especially in the trap/clutch n grab days) the game was way slower, and borderline boring. Fighting helped market and sell the game. Nowadays, the skill and speed are whats selling the game, and rule changes are being enforced to protect speedy skill guys.. and that's fine.

But to remove fighting all together will go a long way to removing the aggression of the game, and that aggression still sells. Fans love seeing a big clean hit just as much as a dangle through the defenseman or a bar down shot. Keeping the players aggressive and playing physical is a huge part of the sport, and if we are playing physical, then young men will get worked up, emotional, and in the heat of the moment, that emotion will come out in the form of violence. Keep it controlled (like it is), and continue to use that violence to sell the sport.
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Re: Fighting in the NHL

Post by Topper »

Keep fighting in the game the way it is and either remove or consistently use the Instigator rule. The haphazard way it is now used does nothing.

Having to answer the bell for a clean hard hit is silly.
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Re: Fighting in the NHL

Post by Madcombinepilot »

Topper wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 9:37 am Keep fighting in the game the way it is and either remove or consistently use the Instigator rule. The haphazard way it is now used does nothing.

Having to answer the bell for a clean hard hit is silly.
Yeah, I agree with that. seems like every big hit means you have to drop the gloves. Its almost as bad as the staged fights. Dirty hits, drop them. but the big clean ones are just that, Clean hits.
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Re: Fighting in the NHL

Post by Ronning's Ghost »

Madcombinepilot wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 10:03 am
Topper wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 9:37 am Keep fighting in the game the way it is and either remove or consistently use the Instigator rule. The haphazard way it is now used does nothing.

Having to answer the bell for a clean hard hit is silly.
Yeah, I agree with that. seems like every big hit means you have to drop the gloves. Its almost as bad as the staged fights. Dirty hits, drop them. but the big clean ones are just that, Clean hits.
I agree with that, too. And if we three agree on something, I think that suggests the idea is widely held.
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Re: Fighting in the NHL

Post by Megaterio Llamas »

I haven't heard of this hockey fighting league before, have any of you?

Seems like something Blob McKenzie might enjoy :)


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*seems like former fan favorite Link Gaetz has found an outlet to continue doing what he loves and racking up head trauma...
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Re: Fighting in the NHL

Post by Blob Mckenzie »

Absolutely I’d enjoy that shit. Give me a lawn couch and some pizza with all kinds of dipping sauces, my wife beater, wranglers and Dayton’s. I’ll get my pit bulls out racing around, let the boa constrictors out of the cage and it’s on.

The Missing Link is a couple years older than me. There’s no way he’s still participating in this nonsense.
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Re: Fighting in the NHL

Post by UWSaint »

Topper wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 9:37 am Keep fighting in the game the way it is and either remove or consistently use the Instigator rule. The haphazard way it is now used does nothing.

Having to answer the bell for a clean hard hit is silly.
Fighting has always seemed "off" to me since visors became ubiquitous (and then they made it a misconduct to take the helmet off, IIRC). I could go without it, but honestly, its not that common so I don't feel the need to see a change. The joke I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out just doesn't map reality well enough to be funny. I don't see it playing an important role in the game, but I still think you need a strong affirmative argument to remove an appendix.
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Re: Fighting in the NHL

Post by Megaterio Llamas »

Blob Mckenzie wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 6:58 am Absolutely I’d enjoy that shit. Give me a lawn couch and some pizza with all kinds of dipping sauces, my wife beater, wranglers and Dayton’s. I’ll get my pit bulls out racing around, let the boa constrictors out of the cage and it’s on.

The Missing Link is a couple years older than me. There’s no way he’s still participating in this nonsense.
Yeah lol. I don't know about all that McKenzie. I was thinking more along the lines of maybe 10-15 minutes of chuckles watching some of it online.

Actually I think this was the event they had back in 2006, that would explain Link Gaetz and some of the antiquated equipment...
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Re: Fighting in the NHL

Post by Meds »

Blob Mckenzie wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 6:58 am Absolutely I’d enjoy that shit. Give me a lawn couch and some pizza with all kinds of dipping sauces, my wife beater, wranglers and Dayton’s. I’ll get my pit bulls out racing around, let the boa constrictors out of the cage and it’s on.

The Missing Link is a couple years older than me. There’s no way he’s still participating in this nonsense.
Don't bullshit us Blobcat.

With thighs like tree trunks you'd never get into a pair of wranglers......unless you turned them into Daisy Dukes. In that case we might as well just call you Chef.
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Re: Fighting in the NHL

Post by Cousin Strawberry »

Mëds wrote: Thu May 26, 2022 3:23 am
Blob Mckenzie wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 6:58 am Absolutely I’d enjoy that shit. Give me a lawn couch and some pizza with all kinds of dipping sauces, my wife beater, wranglers and Dayton’s. I’ll get my pit bulls out racing around, let the boa constrictors out of the cage and it’s on.

The Missing Link is a couple years older than me. There’s no way he’s still participating in this nonsense.
Don't bullshit us Blobcat.

With thighs like tree trunks you'd never get into a pair of wranglers......unless you turned them into Daisy Dukes. In that case we might as well just call you Chef.
Blob isn't sliding into wranglers...he rocks around in either his dress sweats, rugby pants or Jammies (remember those?!?!)
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Re: Fighting in the NHL

Post by Chef Boi RD »

Doyle told me he wears Carhartt overalls with no shirt and clogs for shoes
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Re: Fighting in the NHL

Post by Blob Mckenzie »

That’s bullshit. I wear French cut jeans and a horizontally striped halter top
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