Yzerman, Shero and Rutherford want to explore eliminating fighting

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by The Yen Man

Lets face it. People who argue for fighting in the game aren't thinking about player safety.

Then take out physical contact all together. If your argument is player safety then body checking has to go as it amounts to almost all injuries in the NHL. You take out fighting and guys will take more liberties and the amount of hooks and stickwork will only increase. Maybe some of you should look into figure skating or ringette.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

The net result may actually be an increase in the intensity and purpose of fights that would break out as part of the game action. Banning fighting might actually help to restore some meaning to fighting in hockey while simultaneously producing a elimination of the tangential, irrelevant fights that have no bearing on any aspect of the final outcome of the games.

It's time.

If we ban fighting how do we "restore some meaning to fighting"? Honest question.

A ban is a ban. Is the ban for the staged fight only or is it for all fighting?

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Then take out physical contact all together. If your argument is player safety then body checking has to go as it amounts to almost all injuries in the NHL. You take out fighting and guys will take more liberties and the amount of hooks and stickwork will only increase. Maybe some of you should look into figure skating or ringette.

Except that not all injuries are created equal. Brain trauma is linked with lower qualities of life than a broken ankle.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Beatle17

Both depression issues that had been going on for years and actually had nothing to do with fighting. It was and is a terrible thing but they are two totally different things.

You can't possibly know that. Both players were enforcers who had (barely) cemented their place in the NHL by way of the ONLY skill that provided a place for them there. Each having spent their entire adult life fighting for a living on skates, it is absolutely reasonable to question the extent to which their profession and the risks attached affected their own mental states.

[albertGQ]

If fighting is allowed to remain in the game to allow players an outlet to not do anything cheap, then why doesn't football or basketball allow fighting?

I've grown up being a huge fan of fighting in hockey, but its time to ban it or at least look at tougher penalties.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

The clock on fighting is already ticking. It will be a relic within a decade if not for simple liability reasons.

Then it will just snowball due to the major amount of concussions come from body checks. If fighting leaves the NHL you can bet body checking will follow shortly after. Any type of hard hit will be illegal. Body checks, not fighting is the biggest liability risk in hockey.

[Nabber]

I'd rather the league did something like ejecting from the game and a game misconduct, could go up depending on the number of past fights by that player than removing fighting completely from the game. At least this way you would think the fight would have some meaning rather than staged. I believe fighting puts a little doubt in someone minds about throwing that questionable body check, swinging a stick, or what not. You still have dumbasses like Cooke who just don't care though.

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Then it will just snowball due to the major amount of concussions come from body checks. If fighting leaves the NHL you can bet body checking will follow shortly after. Any type of hard hit will be illegal. Body checks, not fighting is the biggest liability risk in hockey.

Meh, slippery slope argument.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

If we ban fighting how do we "restore some meaning to fighting"? Honest question.

A ban is a ban. Is the ban for the staged fight only or is it for all fighting?

It is my opinion that a ban on fighting will not result in the total disappearance of fighting from the game. Players will almost certainly still fight in rare instances (the intensity and pace of the game almost makes such confrontations occasionally inevitable), but with stiff consequences, the reasons for starting or participating in a fight will also become all the more significant.

My interest is primarily in getting the goons out of the game. The provisions made for fighting in professional hockey act as harmful enablers for people who have no business playing hockey to pursue a hockey career. Quite simply, if you can't play the game at the NHL level, then I don't believe you should be allowed to play in the NHL. A ban on fighting will ensure that these players have no place in the game, since they can't do anything else.

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

It is my opinion that a ban on fighting will not result in the total disappearance of fighting from the game. Players will almost certainly still fight in rare instances (the intensity and pace of the game almost makes such confrontations occasionally inevitable), but with stiff consequences, the reasons for starting or participating in a fight will also become all the more significant.

My interest is primarily in getting the goons out of the game. The provisions made for fighting in professional hockey act as harmful enablers for people who have no business playing hockey to pursue a hockey career. Quite simply, if you can't play the game at the NHL level, then I don't believe you should be allowed to play in the NHL. A ban on fighting will ensure that these players have no place in the game, since they can't do anything else.

Absolutely agreed, getting rid of goons should be the priority right now. They're taking the spot of guys that can, you know, actually play the game.

[gargamel]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

It is my opinion that a ban on fighting will not result in the total disappearance of fighting from the game. Players will almost certainly still fight in rare instances (the intensity and pace of the game almost makes such confrontations occasionally inevitable), but with stiff consequences, the reasons for starting or participating in a fight will also become all the more significant.

Would the refs break up fights immediately if fighting were to be banned? If so, fighting would pretty much disappear from the game entirely. If not, it wouldn't be much of a ban.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by $ven27

hockey without fighting gives the marchands', cookes' of the nhl the ability to run wild without any punishment for their actions...

Prove it.

[dissentowner]

If they did ban fighting some guy with money will start a hockey league where fighting will be the showcase. A bunch of goon teams.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by WilderPegasus

About as often as a big clean hit. Fairly often. But these days it is more about going after a teammate who was hurt regardless if the hit was clean or dirty.

Those fights are pretty much useless though. A fight after a clean hit is one of the things the league needs to get rid of.

The real dirty players (Cooke, Ruutu, etc) rarely, if ever, had to answer the bell with a fight.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by gargamel

Would the refs break up fights immediately if fighting were to be banned? If so, fighting would pretty much disappear from the game entirely. If not, it wouldn't be much of a ban.

Perhaps. Perhaps not. I think far and away the best course of action is to implement the ban and to see what happens.

[Zevo]

Originally Posted by fotze

Has CP ever done a fighting poll in the past. Would be curious to see if prevailing thought has changed.

If not how about a poll?

a. Always liked fighting, still do.
b. Always liked fighting, now hate it.

b. Always hated fighting, now like it.
c. Always hated fighting, now like it.

e. Don't mind fighting eventually going the way of the Dodo bird, but not as a knee jerk reaction. Would be my vote.

[$ven27]

No

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by fotze

Has CP ever done a fighting poll in the past. Would be curious to see if prevailing thought has changed.

If not how about a poll?

a. Always liked fighting, still do.
b. Always liked fighting, now hate it.

b. Always hated fighting, now like it.
c. Always hated fighting, now like it.

Can we add an option. "See the need for fighting but would agree to a bigger penalty then a 5 minute major for fighting".

I really find myself falling into the game misconduct camp.

Would eliminate staged fights and goon's whose only role is to fight but would allow for the spur of the moment fights and the fights that truly are needed after somebody takes a liberty with one of your teammates.

Is it worth it to a coach to have a player take a game misconduct for Orr and Parros to have a staged fight? No.

Is it worth it to a coach to have a player take a game misconduct to stand up for Ryan Miller after Lucic ran him over? Hell yeah.

[dissentowner]

Come on, are you guys in this thread that are against fighting honestly saying you don't enjoy watching Grats beat the living hell out of some Oiler or Canuck that desperately deserves it?

[Zevo]

Originally Posted by fotze

Instead of banning it and to compensate the fighters. Anyone who doesn't want a 5 game suspension that fights must be paid greater than $3.5MM/year.

You want a goon, you are going to have to compensate him to the detriment to the rest of your team, good players can still fight too.

Or if you have less than 7 minutes(or so) of ice time at the end of the game it's a 10 game suspension.