Kale Kessy severely injured in AHL fight- is it time to stop the music?

[locsofblu]

Fighting will never go away in hockey.

[tkflames]

Originally Posted by locsofblu

Fighting will never go away in hockey.

I have a feeling this is not going to age well. Independent of my personal thoughts on fighting...it is already pretty much out. There are a few borderline NHLers...aka caveman hanging onto some long forgotten code. The rest are pretend fights from guys trying to make a name for themselves...or an undersized guy that finally snaps at a guy slightly less undersized...

As soon as the NHL figures out how to do suspensions properly, fighting is done. Nothing in today's NHL players more than cuts to their paycheque...

[TheSquatch]

Rugby is easily as hard-hitting and vicious as hockey. Easily. And yet there are almost never any fights. You get ejected in the first place, and you may lose out on every playing again, the rules are strict, and strictly enforced. There's all kinds of minor shenanigans, but never a "fight" like in hockey.

And in deciding something was dangerous, a tackle known as a "spear tackle" where you wrap a guy, lift him up, flip him, and drive him down headfirst (his arms being wrapped up) the Rugby rules committees deemed them illegal, and .... now you can't do that, so rugby players... don't do that.

Hockey is so behind, hockey culture such a goddamned dinosaur thing, it's just stupid.

[Dion]

The Heritage Junior B League has some excellent rules to curb fighting during a game.

Fighting
-Any player engages in their 3rd fight in a season 1 game
-Any player engages in their 4th fight in a season 2 games
-Any player engages in their 5th fight in a season 3 games
-Any player engages in their 6th fight in a season indefinite

Instigator or aggressor of a fight
-1st offence Game misconduct
-2nd offence 1 game
-3rd offence 3 games

http://heritagejunior.com/leagues/cu...9&pageID=13369

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by locsofblu

Fighting will never go away in hockey.

There will always be a need for a well crafted, comfortable type writer!

[Zarley]

Statistically, players are more likely to be injured by a dangerous hit than by a fight. Hitting is an integral part of the game, just as fighting is, and I wouldn’t be interested in watching hockey without it.

The NHL has actually reached an nice sweet spot where staged fighting and related stupidity have been removed so now the fights that do occur really mean something and add to the drama and entertainment of the game.

[Oil Stain]

I like fighting and I hope it doesn't go away anytime soon, but it seems inevitable at this point.

Who didn't like watching RNH and Monahan go at it?

Those are the types of fights that add excitement and energy to a game. Fights such as those are unlikely to lead to serious injuries as the combatants are trained in fighting and as such don't really have the know how to really damage the other player.

[Nage Waza]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

Fights such as those are unlikely to lead to serious injuries as the combatants are trained in fighting and as such don't really have the know how to really damage the other player.

I think the problem is that gravity does most of the damage in the lethal ones. If your head bounces off the ice, that is a big problem.

If they want to keep fighting, keep the helmets on, and I mean with a strap not designed to quickly pop the helmet off. At the same time, soften the shoulder and elbow pads.

[Vedder]

Has there been any polling of the players on fighting in recent times?

Seems pretty clear to me that this issue sits with the NHLPA. I don’t think the league would resist that hard if they were adamant about its removal. Right or wrong, they may still view it as an essential tool for accountability.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Gaskal

Originally Posted by Bring_Back_Shantz

I don't think you know what "Fight" means.

I don't think he knows what "Proof" means.

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk

[combustiblefuel]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Sure.
I don't think that's how this needs to be evaluated.
At one point human beings cheered on as people were devoured by lions.
People can be pretty savage.

I would also say that it's hyperbole to say that nobody doesn't cheer. More people are starting to turn against fighting. I go to games. I don't cheer.

I think 2 willing people should be able to go. My body my rules sort of thing.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Vedder

Has there been any polling of the players on fighting in recent times?

Seems pretty clear to me that this issue sits with the NHLPA. I don’t think the league would resist that hard if they were adamant about its removal. Right or wrong, they may still view it as an essential tool for accountability.

I'm not so sure about that. As long as dinosaurs like Colin Campbell are involved in the operations of the league I think there's plenty in the corner of fighting. Guys like him are part of the problem and the positive is that most of these guys are getting up there in age and on their way out. Fighting will be removed from the game and it's only a matter of time.

[combustiblefuel]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

That's not really relevant.
Just because other parts of the sport are dangerous, that's not relevant in determining the necessity and danger of fighting.

That's like the old "I know guns kill people, but so do knives & hammers, are we gonna ban those too?"

Well it is relatively related tho. How many people have there career's end by 1 fight? How many people have jad career ending injurys do to hitting? I don't know the numbers but I'm sure someone with more dedication could find them. The 2 definitely share a link as the fighters with issues also played a very physical game and you don't need to be fighter to play a physical game .
Fighting and hitting can both cause concussions but hitting seems to cause alot more notable injuries as it can have a scope of danger outside of concussions.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Zarley

Statistically, players are more likely to be injured by a dangerous hit than by a fight. Hitting is an integral part of the game, just as fighting is, and I wouldn’t be interested in watching hockey without it.

The NHL has actually reached an nice sweet spot where staged fighting and related stupidity have been removed so now the fights that do occur really mean something and add to the drama and entertainment of the game.

LOL I'm not sure there are any stats that prove CTE is more prevalent from dirty hits as it is from fighting. Several of the enforcers in the old days are dead meanwhile are there any deaths of players that didn't fight but took a dangerous hit leading to a concussion? Wade Belak, Rick Rypien, Steve Montador, Bob Probert, Derek Boogaard, John Kordic, etc didn't pass away from taking dangerous hits.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

I like fighting and I hope it doesn't go away anytime soon, but it seems inevitable at this point.

Who didn't like watching RNH and Monahan go at it?

Those are the types of fights that add excitement and energy to a game. Fights such as those are unlikely to lead to serious injuries as the combatants are trained in fighting and as such don't really have the know how to really damage the other player.

Me. I thought it was really awkward seeing two guys that don't know how to fight attempting to fight.

[combustiblefuel]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I really don't care what players have to say about it. I think they are perhaps the worst group to talk to when it comes to their own safety. This is a group that at one point didn't want to wear helmets or visors.
They also grew up in hockey culture which would have informed and influenced their opinion.
The anecdotes are just anecdotes.
Is there any actual measured proof?
As fighting has gone down in the NHL have the instances of serious non fighting offenses gone up?

EDIT: I will add that my view is that if this is true, then even then, it should be solved by the NHL implementing more consistent and serious punishment for serious infractions. The fact that fighting is viewed to be a way that this sport needs to enforce its own rules - is silly. As silly as plunking a batter still being a part of baseball culture.

Do you also tell woman what they should do? Do you tell people what religion they should be? Do you tell bpeople they shouldn't drink or smoke? Donyou castize people for eating like ####? Etc etc

If the players don't mind it then let them decide for themselves. Otherwise your just another person telling them how they should live their lives . It dosen't have any effect on your health and well being. Just another person with to much free time telling others what they should and shouldn't do.

[Jimdon]

I like fighting in the game. But that's for my own selfish reasons and I'm not the one taking punches in the face. That being said every argument I've heard from players on why it needs to stay in the game is "the players need to police themselves." As frustrated as us fans are with the refereeing in the game that tells me the players themselves have absolutely zero confidence that the on ice officials will protect them or make the right calls to eliminate the need for the players to take the protection of themselves and their teammates into their own hands. Which is perfectly fair since the refs seem more interested in game management than the rule book and the league itself is an absolute crapshoot when it comes to discipline.

If the league could show the least bit of competance on the rules of the game and how they call it this might be a different discussion

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by combustiblefuel

Do you also tell woman what they should do? Do you tell people what religion they should be? Do you tell bpeople they shouldn't drink or smoke? Donyou castize people for eating like ####? Etc etc

If the players don't mind it then let them decide for themselves. Otherwise your just another person telling them how they should live their lives . It dosen't have any effect on your health and well being. Just another person with to much free time telling others what they should and shouldn't do.

LOL if NFL players had their way guys like Vontaze Burfict would still be taking the heads off receivers attempting to catch the ball in the middle of the field. There's a reason the NFL takes these matters in their own hands regardless of how much the players whine about the new rules. If construction sites didn't force workers to wear hard hats, safety glasses, and steel toe boots you can bet that plenty wouldn't which is why employers have to protect employees from themselves. Your argument wouldn't have sounded any better if it came from a child.

[dammage79]

Fighting will stay in the game as long as it is necessary. The NHL wont ban fighting. Like it.or not, it still has entertainment value to the majority. You're at least two generations away from fighting MAYBE being removed.

So my query is this, why the crusade against it?

The player signed up for this, and this isnt the NFL where once they're out they're done and dont get their contracts fulfilled.

They're compensated greatly to risk their well being and chose to do so freely. No one HAS to fight. Those who want to, will.

And I for one would hate to see dolts like Kassian not have his face punched in for some of the crap he pulls that are far more dangerous to other players well being than fighting.

Seeing as the NHL wheel of justice can miss the mark a lot of some grievous infractions. Or reffing in a game to game basis as so evidenced in ant GT on any forum anywhere.

A little self policing keeps this a little more honest on the ice.

So deal with it.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by combustiblefuel

Do you also tell woman what they should do? Do you tell people what religion they should be? Do you tell bpeople they shouldn't drink or smoke? Donyou castize people for eating like ####? Etc etc

If the players don't mind it then let them decide for themselves. Otherwise your just another person telling them how they should live their lives . It dosen't have any effect on your health and well being. Just another person with to much free time telling others what they should and shouldn't do.

It effects my enjoyment of my favorite sport. I don't like watching two people bash their brains in. I did not enjoy watching one of my favorite players ever (Montador) die at the age of 35.

We don't need it in the sport.
It's savage, disgusting violence that doesn't accomplish anything.
And it WILL be eliminated. I am 100% sure of that.
The shame is that more will suffer and die because it didn't happen sooner.
Your comparisons are irrelevant.