Yzerman, Shero and Rutherford want to explore eliminating fighting

[Badgers Nose]

Good. Long over due.

Coupled with massive suspensions for cheap shot artists and the game will be better. If they keep the rats in the game, then they can't get rid of fighting. I agree with Cherry on that.

i.e. two handed whack like kessel = instant ejection from game and susepnsion

[davidbjordan]

No surprise that the GM's of 3 of the softest teams in the league want to gid rid of fighting...

I agree with "you need a thneed" the insurance policies will eventually bring an end to fighting, until then i find it to be incredibly entertaining (which is what watching hockey should be)

[Poe969]

well Parros did hit his head on the ice. Maybe they should play on something softer. And he was wearing his helmet and it didn't protect him, maybe motorcycle helmets should be mandated too

[Zevo]

IMO, there won't be fewer concussions if fighting is taken out of the game, they will just happen somewhere else, like a big open ice hit. Like fighting or not, they can change the momentum of a game. Just look at preseason when Ferland faught, that totally changed the game. Also remember the Sarich hit on Marleau in the playoffs, that also changed the momentum of a game.

If fighting is taken out, players and coaches will look at other ways to change the momemtum and to take care of perceived dirty hits. You bet they will start looking at players who can lay a person out. Not there is necessarily anything wrong with that, but the concussion levels won't drop.

[Poe969]

did a prospect die riding a motorcylce? and aren't land rovers killing the environment? Maybe we should ban....everything

[Hatter]

The tough guys are often some of the most popular players in the room. I think it would be a tough sell to the players to strip their friends of jobs.

If they were to make it mandatory to leave helmets on in a fight under threat of misconducts or suspensions rather than that 2 minute penalty fights will naturally decline, while preventing some injury from heads hitting the ice. Combine this with mandatory visors, and the number of fights should naturally go down even further.

[FakenHaken]

Originally Posted by Poe969

did a prospect die riding a motorcylce? and aren't land rovers killing the environment? Maybe we should ban....everything

I agree let's ban Global warming.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Zevo

IMO, there won't be fewer concussions if fighting is taken out of the game, they will just happen somewhere else, like a big open ice hit. Like fighting or not, they can change the momentum of a game. Just look at preseason when Ferland faught, that totally changed the game. Also remember the Sarich hit on Marleau in the playoffs, that also changed the momentum of a game.

If fighting is taken out, players and coaches will look at other ways to change the momemtum and to take care of perceived dirty hits. You bet they will start looking at players who can lay a person out. Not there is necessarily anything wrong with that, but the concussion levels won't drop.

Eric D's answer to to this kind of argument on the Fan960 this morning:

If fighting is part of the game, why don't we decide O/T with a fight? Because, it is not part of the game.

[Max Cow Disease]

When I'm earnest with myself, I can't help but agree with the idea of getting rid of it.

I feel embarrassed for this fine sport when two goons all of the sudden start dropping the gloves and slugging away at one another while the refs stand there and watch until one guy falls down, whilst hoards of mullet-sporting Bud drinkers howl from the rafters as though the real reason they've shown up to the rink has just been put on display.

The reasoning that people seem to be entertained by it, and therefore that it's a crucial aspect of the game, is silly in my opinion. None of the other major sports have such a lenient view towards fighting, and if you engage in it you're likely to be tossed. It feels like fans of other leagues are sometimes laughing at hockey for this reason, and that hockey will never entirely lose its "dumb toothless Canadian" reputation until we do away with it. It doesn't strike me as integral (despite being around for so long), and the game can still maintain its intensity, speed, and physicality without it.

This, as others have said, strikes me as the next logical evolution.

[cKy]

Originally Posted by troutman

Eric D's answer to to this kind of argument on the Fan960 this morning:

If fighting is part of the game, why don't we decide O/T with a fight? Because, it is not part of the game.

That's a silly argument. Icing is part of the game, so the first team to Ice the puck in OT loses. I mean, it's part of the game and all.

[Major Major]

People are acting like they have never seen a player lie unconscious on the ice before. No one likes it, but if it offends your sensibilities so much, be sure not to watch because it sure as hell isn't going to stop while this remains a contact sport.

It was a freak accident that happened during a fight. It wouldn't have happened if there wasn't a fight, but the idea behind freak accidents is that they are random and could happen at anytime doing anything. If we got rid of warmups, no one would have ever stepped on taylor hall's face.

Look for an OHL style serial fight limitation to be implemented within a few years, nothing more. Those who think fighting is on the way out are nuts.

[$ven27]

Hockey without fighting gives the Marchands', Cookes' of the NHL the ability to run wild without any punishment for their actions, fighting should NEVER be banned.

[Bigfeet24]

If a player didn't want to fight at some point during their career they are unlikely to have chosen ice hockey as their sport... They all know the risks. Just like a boxer knows the risks, just like a golfer knows the risk. It's how you manage that risk, with equipment, doctors and the like. Would be interesting to see a stat on players injured long term due to non fight related instances vs fighting.

[sureLoss]

Scotty Bowman agrees:
scott bowman ‏@coachwsb 13m I support views of Steve Yzerman Ray Shero and Jim Rutherford on their opinions for Addressing most Fighting Issues Poll all Players


as does Doug Armstrong:
Ian Mendes ‏@ian_mendes 35s
Blues GM Doug Armstrong tells @TSN1200 that he is on the side of Yzerman, Shero & Rutherford in the fighting debate.

[troutman]

Current Results of TSN Poll:

Would you watch more or less if fighting was banned?

Less = 35.7%
More = 7.4%
Same = 56.7%

My guess is ratings and attendance will remain the same after a fighting ban.

[IntenseFan]

My difficulty with this is that the pressure to end it started in the media and now the management seems to be reacting to it. If this was coming from the NHLPA, I'd be a bit less skeptical.

Maybe they will endorse the view? We'll see.

[Ped]

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, fighting should NEVER be banned.

They already do.

Cooke was taken to task what, once in a fight? By Kane?

It wasn't fighting that led Cooke to clean up his act.

I don't buy this argument because these guys don't fight now. Marchand, or Burrows, or Cooke runs around like an idiot but it's not them who are fighting. It's the Thorntons, the Sestitos, etc.

How does Shawn Thornton having to fight say, Steve MacIntyre prevent Brad Marchand from cheap shotting Taylor Hall? A 4th liner has to go sit in the box for 5 minutes. Marchand isn't punished. The Bruins aren't punished.

With knowing what we know about concussions and how these guys lives are affected after the game, I find it disgusting that we are willing to allow it just because we enjoy watching a fight.

How utterly selfish. We get to spend a few minutes out of a handful of games watching a fight that accomplishes nothing useful.

And spare me the "but this player was injured by...." Players have equipment that protects from the majority of those types of injuries. Freak accidents will obviously still occur.

A fight is not a freak accident but an injury waiting to happen.

[valo403]

Came for the dimwitted slippery slope arguments, was not disappointed.

[SuperMatt18]

When was the last time a dirty hit was actually answered with a fight?

Serious question, it is something that always gets brought up to defend fighting but I can't remember a time when a fight actually solved the issue or prevented a dirty hit.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Bootsy

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

The US shouldn't have gun control. More people die from car accidents. Ban cars! Stupid logic is stupid