Fights down to just 0.24 per game

[Conroy4Mayor]

This trend has been developing for a while, but I was surprised just how few fights there are in the NHL now. Just 0.24 per game so far this year. Six teams have not had any fights.

http://www.tsn.ca/fights-and-the-fig...m-nhl-1.384927

I think it's a good thing. My preference is that every skater should have the primary objective of helping their team put the puck in the net. I think that if you regularly log more fights than points, you probably shouldn't be in the NHL.

[JiriHrdina]

Fighting is dumb and serves no purpose. Within 5 years it'll be entirely gone. Good.

[Daradon]

I've really noticed it over the last few years. Personally, I kinda miss it. If that makes me a neanderthal then so be it.

Don't get me wrong, I don't like it when there's a lot of fighting, or staged fighting, and I like that the goon role is lessened or eliminated, but the arena sure gets loud when there's a good tilt.

All that said, it's not like it turns me off to hockey or anything. And I understand the risks and don't want players to have serious brain injuries. Though I would imagine that's more of a risk for regular fighters than a player who might fight once a year.

[Oil Stain]

I think goons themselves are the reason that fighting has dropped off so much over the last few years.

Back in the 60's most every player fought their own battles. The 70's and 80s saw the rise of the enforcer whose only job was to fight. By the time the 90's and 00'a rolls around these guys had transformed into freakish circus bears ala Boogaard. The only guys who could fight these guys were other no talent freaks.

Good players have been told for a few decades now to let the monsters on their team do the fighting and that trickled down through junior.

What you have now is a few generations worth of good players that have been coached out of fighting. Only the goons go out looking to fight and now that making the playoffs is so competitive the goons are being squeezed out.

That's my theory anyway.

[Azhouse]

I like it.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

I think goons themselves are the reason that fighting has dropped off so much over the last few years.

Back in the 60's most every player fought their own battles. The 70's and 80s saw the rise of the enforcer whose only job was to fight. By the time the 90's and 00'a rolls around these guys had transformed into freakish circus bears ala Boogaard. The only guys who could fight these guys were other no talent freaks.

Good players have been told for a few decades now to let the monsters on their team do the fighting and that trickled down through junior.

What you have now is a few generations worth of good players that have been coached out of fighting. Only the goons go out looking to fight and now that making the playoffs is so competitive the goons are being squeezed out.

That's my theory anyway.

That's what makes me really appreciate guys like Iginla and Benn.

[N-E-B]

Fights that happen in the heat of the moment are awesome and entertaining.

Staged fights between goons who serve no other purpose are awful.

[H2SO4(aq)]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Fighting is dumb and serves no purpose. Within 5 years it'll be entirely gone. Good.

Completely disagree. If you're talking about godard vs macintryre or whatever, you're correct.

but don't sit here and shoot me some bull about iggy vs ohlund being meaningless.

how about iggy vs. hatcher? iggy vs lecavalier? how about when beauchemin switched hands on iginla - as if anaheim would have beat us otherwise.

and sure I'm bringing up the past, how about when the flames changed their trajectory by beating the piss out of the canucks and having torts try to fight hartley? or lets go as recent as when engleland beat up two canucks at once. you knew right then and there who was tougher and would win the series.

then you have the anaheim series. no emotion, no bad blood, no ferland running wild and flames get stomped.

fighting drives emotion and emotion drives hockey. it has to be used at the right moments, but it absolutely can energize a roster the same way a big goal can.

McGratton salute.

[Jason14h]

We're in a new era. Fighting is dead and we just have to accept it. While goon fights were probably pointless, within 5 years all fights will be done.

Is the game better off? The majority seems to think so... but the majority never played.

But at the end of day people vote with their wallets and fighting is on the way out....It is what it is!

[habernac]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

We're in a new era. Fighting is dead and we just have to accept it. While goon fights were probably pointless, within 5 years all fights will be done.

Is the game better off? The majority seems to think so... but the majority never played.

But at the end of day people vote with their wallets and fighting is on the way out....It is what it is!

The best hockey I've ever seen has been Olympic, Canada Cup, etc. How many fights do you see there?

The most laughable statement here is that the majority have "never played". I've played plenty. With all of the new evidence that fighting is killing guys who do it too much, I'm fine with it disappearing.

[Geeoff]

I love fights. I love to watch sports whose entire content is fighting. Such is the homogenized, PC society we live in...

[Conroy4Mayor]

Originally Posted by habernac

The best hockey I've ever seen has been Olympic, Canada Cup, etc. How many fights do you see there?

No fighting in US college hockey either. Those games are still fun to watch and are well attended. I don't think they suffer from a lack of fights.

[nfotiu]

I don't know how the NHL can continue to give lip service about doing everything it can in terms of player safety and preventing head injuries, while at the same time allowing fighting. If they aren't concerned about the moral aspect of the shape that fighting has left so many 90s/00s enforcers in, you'd think they'd at least care about the financial aspects of all the litigation over head injuries.

Staged fights are embarrassing, silly and boring. I will not miss them at all when they are gone. While I do agree with the above that there has been the odd exciting, heat of the moment fight, I have to wonder if it is really worth it for the combatants to have to risk head/brain injuries to stand up for a clean hit, or other play that is part of hockey. It's time for fighting to go.

[Conroy4Mayor]

Originally Posted by Geeoff

I love fights. I love to watch sports whose entire content is fighting. Such is the homogenized, PC society we live in...

No doubt there is a tremendous appetite for watching grown men, and now women, beat each other up. I think that medicine, science and legal liability will eventually force those sports to stop fighting as well. It is not polotical correctness, it is just not right to pay people to shorten their lives, or forfeit their quality of life, all in the name of entertaining the masses.

[adc]

[Mod edit- removed.]

I don't buy the "best hockey I have ever seen" argument as I find that has to do with the fact that it is best on best so you are getting the best quality of hockey you will ever see.

CIS, European and NCAA hockey all have no fighting and none of these leagues are entertaining to watch.

[Moneyhands23]

I'm all good for fights the are a result of cheap shots. I like the idea of the players policing themselves in this way. Also I am a fan of a guy fighting to get the team going in an important game/moment

[GirlySports]

yeah I don't understand why the NHL didn't ban fighting 10 years ago.
For every fan they lose they'll gain 3 (especially women)

Any if fights like the Hudler one break out then it's a game misconduct, so if it's worth it you'll still see the odd fight.

Only problem is as moneyhands23 said above, the sport needs to be policed. If fighting is to be banned, the reffing and suspensions for cheap shots needs to be much better.

[Jason14h]

The best hockey I've ever seen has been Olympic, Canada Cup, etc. How many fights do you see there?

The best hockey you've seen is when there are 8 all star teams ? No kidding! Must be because there's no fighting, not because the 20 best players from each country are playing!

[habernac]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

The best hockey you've seen is when there are 8 all star teams ? No kidding! Must be because there's no fighting, not because the 20 best players from each country are playing!

The best players see no need to fight. They're too busy playing good hockey.

[Split98]

I don't want fighting banned, at all. I think it's existence keeps the game a bit safer. It's a fast sport with knives on your feet -- respect is paramount.

We can't count on everyone out there to have people's health top-of-mind when heading in for a huge hit. What keeps them honest? Knowing Engelland is watching you.

I'm glad the roster spot is no longer occupied by a 'fight only' kind of player, but would never want it removed entirely. You take liberties with Gaudreau? I want to watch someone teach you a lesson for it.

But fighters finding a reason to justify their paycheque never needed to exist. I like teams having one guy who knows what he's doing out there. But is a valuable part of the team if no one needs any policing.

Fights down yet still allowed is great news to me. No need to change anything.