Why should it matter so much what the players think of fighting?
I'm a construction worker. Ten years ago, very few people wore gloves, a hard hat, safety boots, a high visibility vest, earplugs, or safety glasses. I had co-workers accuse me of being "soft" for wearing gloves.
Nowadays, very few people don't wear at least the basics on a construction site: steel toe boots, glasses, and a hard hat. Did we get to vote on whether to make these positive changes? No, of course not. Politicians legislated these changes in order to make the workplace safer for everyone. I just don't see how this is any different. These are grown men making a living, just like us. They shouldn't get to pick and choose which rules they get to follow.
What Andrew Ference pulled last night was criminal, and I love the guy. He was a great player for Calgary, probably he best fifth defenceman in the league. Tough as nails, never afraid to block a shot with his face that others wouldn't block with their butts. If he were to pull what he pulled last night in any other workplace, he'd be looking at serious jail time right now.
It is just a matter of time before fighting is eliminated from the league. Let's just hope that it doesn't take someone getting killed on the ice to make it happen.
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