Quote:
Originally Posted by Textcritic
Ah, yes. The age-old trope about how big, open-ice hits and fighting in hockey actually protect players from stick fouls and dirty play is a common fall-back in this discussion. Even in the event that what Jiri has described is essentially how the game mostly plays out already. So long as the best players in the world are playing on the biggest stage the game will always be entertaining.
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Is the poster suggesting hits and fighting keep those things out of the game? Maybe, I didn't read that into it though.
I don't really understand the bolded part. He has hypothesized about removing body contact from the game which is not how the game is played, at any competitive level, anywhere in NA for males above 14 years of age.
The discussion seems focused on what people would or wouldn't watch at the NHL level, but Jiri's suggestion would fundamentally change the way the game is played for thousands of people.
I understand the hypothesis, and maybe he is just trying to be provocative, but if that is truly the type of game you want hockey to be, I don't know how:
1) You could spend time watching and being entertained by hockey today
2) Spend time playing the game yourself, other than in strictly no contact leagues
3)Support any friends or family members, children or otherwise, who were playing hockey at a competitive level