[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

This is actually how I feel about seeing the big huge open ice hits that leave a player laying on the ice. It happens even with perfectly legal hits.

My simple point from my massive (sorry everyone) post is this - you can't take out fighting from the game claiming that it is done for the safety of the players, but make rule changes to speed up the game causing hits to be more violent.

If people don't want violence in hockey, and if the NHL is really serious about protecting their players, then they need to look at fighting AND the rule changes coming out of the '04 lockout. They need to do a better job policing the predatory hits than they have been - especially the ones that happen against non-stars.

If they want to eliminate fighting because it causes injuries, then they also better stop using 'how injured a player was' when handing out disciplinary action. Most fights don't result in injuries. Predatory hits - or even huge open ice hits - I argue cause more. Fans stand up and applaud a huge open ice hit, and then when the player is laying flat on the ice, the crowd gives that player a 'supportive cheer' as he is getting stretchered off the ice.

I just don't see how people can argue against fighting in particular, but aren't arguing for a return to a slower game. Why? They don't like fighting, but they like to see a fast-paced end-to-end game.

I don't like to see anyone hurt. I would like to see some rule changes that will help make it safer for players. I would like to see more severe penalties dished out from the disciplinary actions, and ones that don't seem to sometimes protect the star players more than the non-stars - I hate to see anyone laying on the ice hurt, regardless of how much of a star a player is or isn't.

Hockey is a violent sport - not just because of the fighting. The fighting just makes it a more obviously violent sport. I would bet that more severe injuries are happening to more players from incidents not involving fighting. If the NHL and its' fans no longer want a violent sport, then change as many rules as possible. In my opinion, they are just putting lipstick on a pig by eliminating fighting. It is addressing only a small portion of the problem. Change it, or just be happy with the pig.

I am not even arguing about the merits of fighting. My entire rationale is based on what I think is happening in the NHL right now - a lack of impetus to make the game safer. Most people still applaud and cheer when a fight happens. Most people still applaud and cheer when there is a big open ice hit by the home side. Nobody cheers seeing a guy laying on the ice hurt. Over the course of 10 games, how many guys are laying on the ice hurt due to fighting, versus laying on the ice hurt due to being hit (even by legal checks?).

They really need to start calling boarding and charging to eliminate the human torpedos (Zach Rinaldo) from the game as well.