Simple way to deal with this situation: instigator = suspension.
Two goons wanna have a staged "fight"? Hand out instigators to both of em, give both of them suspensions. Increase suspension based on repeat offenses.
I'm fine with the impassioned "standing up for your teammate" fight, but there HAS to be a cost associated with it, and a 2 min minor is not even remotely close to being sufficient (and that's when the referees get it correctly).
I'm tired of being forced to sit through boring staged fights where the two "goons" give each other pats on the head afterwards. That isn't hockey.
I'm tired of seeing a great, hard check on a player result in retaliation or a fight. That isn't hockey.
I'm also tired of seeing similar positions to mine characterized as "soccer mom". I want to see hard hitting, fast paced physical hockey. I don't want to see a bunch of prima-donnas dropping the gloves the moment they get checked into the boards or stripped of the puck. Increase the cost for behaviour like this and the game will get better.
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