Quote:
Originally Posted by speede5
It is interesting though, because someone mentioned McGratten being brought in to help players and in Ice Gaurdians he is a pretty vocal supporter of fighting.
I was surprised at that doc as it was really pointing at the cheap shots and other elements of todays game as the real culprit, and fighting being acceptable.
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I have always maintained that the testimony of former and current enforcers on the issue of fighting in hockey needs to be measured accordingly: these are guys who are advocating for their livelihood, which makes it unsurprising that McGratton, Derek Boogard, Brandon Prust and others have come out with vocal support for fighting, regardless of the dangers.
But I would also point out that the emerging problem is not isolated to head hits and concussions, which is why there have been far fewer reports of players suffering the sorts of debilitating mental health issues from severe blows to the head in game-play. A major component in all of this is the culture of fighting that has accompanied fighting: it is the fear that resides with enforcers which pushes them into alcoholism and drug use, and it is the physical toll that draws these players into serious dependencies on pain killers.
Perhaps the culture is changing as well with the demise of pure enforcers. If it is, this is definitely a step in the right direction.