Yzerman, Shero and Rutherford want to explore eliminating fighting - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

sureLoss · 10-02-2013, 12:48 PM

http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/darren_dreger/?id=433262

Quote:

Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman is among a group of NHL GMs and executives who believe the time has come for the league and Players' Association to take a more aggressive path towards eliminating fighting.

"Yes, I believe a player should get a game misconduct for fighting," Yzerman told The Dreger Report. "We penalize and suspend players for making contact with the head while checking, in an effort to reduce head injuries, yet we still allow fighting.

"We're stuck in the middle and need to decide what kind of sport do we want to be. Either anything goes and we accept the consequences, or take the next step and eliminate fighting."

Yzerman's comments carry significant weight, given his Hall of Fame playing career and years of playing alongside legendary tough guys in Detroit such as Darren McCarty, Joe Kocur and the late Bob Probert.

When asked if the league and players should stop trying to make fighting safer and focus on banning fighting in general instead, Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford said, "We've got to get rid of fighting, it has to go."

Rutherford said he would support an open and full discussion on additional penalties such as a game misconduct for fighting - with a significant suspension for any player, for example, who fights multiple times in a season.

Pittsburgh's Ray Shero has been a strong advocate in the league's crackdown on checking to the head. He believes that the NHL has a responsibility to consider a ban on fighting and not just simply raise the discussion when an isolated incident happens.

Northendzone · 10-02-2013, 12:51 PM

personally i hate the staged fights (aka our goon v thier goon), but i don't mind seeing two fight in the ehat of the moment.......but at the end of the day this is a natural progression. i would not really care one way or the other.

Igottago · 10-02-2013, 12:52 PM

Its going to get banned soon enough. Too many people are coming to their senses about it now. Too dangerous and doesn't add much to the game. Seeing Parros out cold on the ice last night was freaky.

liamenator · 10-02-2013, 12:52 PM

It's about time.

Joborule · 10-02-2013, 12:56 PM

Had the debate on Twitter with Comix already, but feel it's time to eliminate fighting since the risk outweigh the gains in keeping it. It isn't necessary since it isn't part of the play of hockey, and would get rid of the players that are only in the league because they fight; not because they're good NHL players.

Bootsy · 10-02-2013, 12:57 PM

Thankfully Burke is representing the Flames , I'm sure he will be agreeing with 98% of the players and argruing to keep fighting in.

Muta · 10-02-2013, 12:58 PM

Doesn't add anything to the game, IMO.

Lanny'sDaMan · 10-02-2013, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Igottago

Its going to get banned soon enough. Too many people are coming to their senses about it now. Too dangerous and doesn't add much to the game. Seeing Parros out cold on the ice last night was freaky.

Oh FFS. Parros didn't get hurt because of a fight. He got hurt falling over Orr and slamming his face off the ice. So are you wanting to ban ice too? Or Mustaches?

Poe969 · 10-02-2013, 01:00 PM

Didn't Karlson's carrer almost get ended because of a skate? Maybe they should look at taking out skates too!

FlamesPuck12 · 10-02-2013, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lanny'sDaMan

Oh FFS. Parros didn't get hurt because of a fight. He got hurt falling over Orr and slamming his face off the ice. So are you wanting to ban ice too? Or Mustaches?

We should also ban skates too. The sharp edges can cut and kill a player.

Ashasx · 10-02-2013, 01:01 PM

I think the Iginla vs Lecavalier fights add something to the game.

I was never more pumped up about a hockey game than I was after that fight. I'm not the biggest fan of staged goon fights, but how can you remove those without impacting the fights that really do matter?

Street Pharmacist · 10-02-2013, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lanny'sDaMan

Oh FFS. Parros didn't get hurt because of a fight. He got hurt falling over Orr and slamming his face off the ice. So are you wanting to ban ice too? Or Mustaches?

So? Would he have done that if he was just having a nice conversation with Orr?

WilderPegasus · 10-02-2013, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lanny'sDaMan

Oh FFS. Parros didn't get hurt because of a fight. He got hurt falling over Orr and slamming his face off the ice. So are you wanting to ban ice too? Or Mustaches?

And why did he fall over Orr while unable to protect himself with his hands?

I get that it was a freak occurrence but to think that something other than fighting was responsible for it is silly.

WilderPegasus · 10-02-2013, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlamesPuck12

We should also ban skates too. The sharp edges can cut and kill a player.

We should just ban men. Women don't seem to have these problems.

Bootsy · 10-02-2013, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlamesPuck12

We should also ban skates too. The sharp edges can cut and kill a player.

And don't forget 100 MPH slapshots, maybe they should start using tennis balls instead of those dangerous frozen rubber pucks

Street Pharmacist · 10-02-2013, 01:06 PM

I love watching fights, and value it's place in the game. However, it's incredibly disingenuous to ban head shots and allow them if it's a fist.

As for the Cherry argument of the importance of policing, I don't buy it. If want to see more proof than someone just saying it. It doesn't seem logical to me. Would Kessel have swung his stick if fighting weren't allowed? Wait he did because fighting is allowed. I can play that game too

Igottago · 10-02-2013, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lanny'sDaMan

Oh FFS. Parros didn't get hurt because of a fight. He got hurt falling over Orr and slamming his face off the ice. So are you wanting to ban ice too? Or Mustaches?

I knew someone would post something illogical like this.

Parros wouldn't have slammed his face into the ice if his arms weren't wrapped up in a grapple because of the fight.

Further, the point is the league as a whole wants to reduce overall risk to players. You don't keep fighting just because a guy could also slip and fall on the ice to hurt himself. You remove something that is inherently risky and adds little to no value the game. Skating on the ice is necessary and usually isn't nearly as dangerous as having a guy pummel your face with his fists.

You Need a Thneed · 10-02-2013, 01:06 PM

Like it or not, Fighting will be out of the game in 8-10 years. At the very least, league insurance will demand it.

SuperMatt18 · 10-02-2013, 01:10 PM

I have been a supporter of fighting in the past, and do think it still has a role in policing the game, but something about the way Parros was motionless on the ice last night triggered that a change may need to be made.

I actually like looking at a game misconduct for fighting. It would allow fighting to still be a valid option when really necessary (rat takes a run at one of your star players) but would completely make the goons, and staged fighting irrelevant.

There would be no use to have a fighter or goon on the team if he got a game misconduct for fighting every time he fought. I don't agree that it needs to be banned completely but a game misconduct for fighting would be a good first step.

Would Iggy have fought Lecavalier in the first period if a game misconduct would be applied? Probably not but he likely still fights Derian Hatcher with a minute left in the third period like he did in the Detroit series.

troutman · 10-02-2013, 01:10 PM

Ron McLean was quoted last night at as saying something like "our guilty pleasure has become our guilty conscience".

It is time.