Oh Hockey, I Love You

[BuckyBuckner]

[johnnya24]

Any other sport, 3 month ban ... Hockey: 2 minute sin-bin and a pat on the back from the commissioner and the TV executives.

[BuckyBuckner]

Any other sport, 3 month ban ... Hockey: 2 minute sin-bin and a pat on the back from the commissioner and the TV executives.

It's a whole FIVE minutes for fighting.

It's part of the game, if you don't like it then hockey isn't for you. To me the thing is, they are skating so fast with a large weapon in their hand, if they weren't allowed to fight to blow off steam there would be much worse injuries from cheap shots with stick infractions (and those do happen from time to time and penalized heavily). So you really need to allow the fighting.

[johnnya24]

It's a whole FIVE minutes for fighting.

It's part of the game, if you don't like it then hockey isn't for you. To me the thing is, they are skating so fast with a large weapon in their hand, if they weren't allowed to fight to blow off steam there would be much worse injuries from cheap shots with stick infractions (and those do happen from time to time and penalized heavily). So you really need to allow the fighting.

If you could guarantee me 3 all out melee's per game I'd watch

[B-Fly]

That's just idiotic. How embarrassing to have the officials just standing there with their hands on their hips as these idiots circle each other to start fighting.

[Fresno Bob]

Joe Thornton moved about 500 feet from my parents house, so for halloween 2 years ago I took my two boys to his house for trick or treating, and I had my younger son pull his older brothers costume over his head and pummel him

[SeaDogStat]

If you could guarantee me 3 all out melee's per game I'd watch

It's hurling on ice...

[BuckyBuckner]

That's just idiotic. How embarrassing to have the officials just standing there with their hands on their hips as these idiots circle each other to start fighting.

If they break it up before the fight the players will just fight as soon as they are back on the ice. They need to let it happen so it can be settled right then and there. I've seen it happen, both players get two minutes for roughing and as soon as they come out of the penalty box they get into a fight. Besides, they aren't going to risk getting hit by mistake. Though I've noticed that most players are very good about stopping the fight when they do step in as the fight is just about end.

[heyelander]

is there a rule that you have to hit people in the face? Seems like the bodies are wide open but no one works it.

[Erik]

Today's fighting is nothing compared to what it was like in the '70s and early '80s. Multiple fights at the same time and all-out brawls are very rare these days. When they instituted the instigator rule and the first-man-off-the-bench-to-fight-gets-a-10-game-suspension rule, fighting became more of a staged thing among goons.

[B-Fly]

If they break it up before the fight the players will just fight as soon as they are back on the ice. They need to let it happen so it can be settled right then and there. I've seen it happen, both players get two minutes for roughing and as soon as they come out of the penalty box they get into a fight. Besides, they aren't going to risk getting hit by mistake. Though I've noticed that most players are very good about stopping the fight when they do step in as the fight is just about end.

Again, I think you need to be an NHL fan to accept that logic. If they break it up, eject the fighting players from the game immediately, and then hand down lengthy suspensions, then you'd obviously see a lot less of it. That video would appear to make it plain that the NHL simply isn't troubled by the fighting, and maybe they're not, because maybe the fans want it that way. It just looks idiotic.

[BuckyBuckner]

is there a rule that you have to hit people in the face? Seems like the bodies are wide open but no one works it.

They have padding on their bodies, those punches won't hurt.

[BuckyBuckner]

Again, I think you need to be an NHL fan to accept that logic. If they break it up, eject the fighting players from the game immediately, and then hand down lengthy suspensions, then you'd obviously see a lot less of it. That video would appear to make it plain that the NHL simply isn't troubled by the fighting, and maybe they're not, because maybe the fans want it that way. It just looks idiotic.

I understand what you are saying but fighting has been a part of the game from the beginning, and as Erik said, it was much worse. It's not going anywhere, the fans love it and the players enjoy it. To a fan it isn't idiotic but to a casual viewer I can how it is. For this game in particular I say it was needed as the Rangers and Devils hate each other. Fights like this at the beginning of the game set the tone for the rest of the game. It's like a high and inside pitch to the cleanup hitter.

Also I'd even say that this rivalry is more intense than the Yankees and Red Sox but since baseball is more popular that gets all the attention.

[B-Fly]

Also I'd even say that this rivalry is more intense than the Yankees and Red Sox but since baseball is more popular that gets all the attention.

If the Yankees and Red Sox players were permitted to punch each other while risking only very mild punishment, they'd probably wail on each other in the first inning too.

[BuckyBuckner]

If the Yankees and Red Sox players were permitted to punch each other while risking only very mild punishment, they'd probably wail on each other in the first inning too.

That would most definitely be true about five years ago, today I'm not so sure.

BTW, here is an article about yesterday's brawl and he seems to agree with you about the fighting. Link.