My greatest thrill in life, isn't watching 16 year old kids fight. In fact, they are quite terrible at it. My issue is how physicality is being choked out of the game. Kids can't check until they are 14 now. Fighting looks to be on the way out. Down the road, there will be some issues.
Kids are going to develop some bad, and largely terrible habits (ie. skating through the neutral zone with their head down).
I guess that you have to make your own ideal as to what hockey is. To me, there is, and should always be hitting. If there is going to be contact, and yes occasionally fights, let's work to best protect everyone in the long term. They aren't doing any favors by holding these kids back.
If you don't want checking and fighting - be happy, there is a place for you. It's called rec hockey.
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