Study finds NHL enforcers die 10 yrs younger than their peers

[Reggie Dunlop]

No surprise really....

The differences in causes of death between the enforcers and their fellow players was striking. Two neurodegenerative disorder deaths, two drug overdoses, three suicides and four vehicular crashes were attributed to the 331 players identified as enforcer-fighters, compared to just one car crash death among the age-matched control group.

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/ar...rs-study-finds

Gratuitous fisticuffs being phased out of the game and a greater emphasis on skill will hopefully change those numbers in the future.

[Jiri Hrdina]

For god's sake ban fighting outright. Do it.
Once it is done we will all look back with shame that it wasn't done sooner.

[CroFlames]

I used to cheer them, but now I cringe at those old timey fights and hits. Just brutal watching a guy get his head pounded repeatedly by some of the toughest and strongest men out there.

[FlamesAddiction]

I agree, get rid of it.

The worst is when you see it in junior. I was at a Vancouver Giants game and two players started beating the crap out of each other. Nothing like watching teenagers hit each other in the head while the crowd cheers. Nowhere else in society would that be acceptable.

[JohnnyB]

That is awful. Really sad. I don't want to see guys getting brain injuries for my entertainment.

[PepsiFree]

There are still people who say “keep your head up, son” and whine whenever people disagree with monster hits that knock players out.

A big part of the problem isn’t just the NHL and what they want, it’s that there are fans who are happy to see these guys die as part of the cost of preserving the “purity” of the sport.

[Erick Estrada]

I do feel for the players with goon roles that are still alive today as well as the families of those that have seen the difficulties in life post-hockey. This likely doesn't cover the AHL tough guys that also paid a steep price to prolong their hockey careers. For the most part it is being phased out as we rarely see the scripted fights so the next thing to clean up is the requirement to drop your gloves after dealing a hard/clean hit to an opposition player. NHL officials have been extremely inconsistent in handing out instigator penalties in these cases and it needs to be automatic.

[tvp2003]

Once Lucic and Reaves have retired, will there even be any "enforcers" left in the NHL?

Also, if you're going to ban fighting, go ahead and ban all head contact as well. The game will be just fine without it IMO.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Fighting is still prevalent in lower leagues like the ECHL and SPHL. Those guys have even less post-career resources available. Then there's the Quebec Senior league where fighting is the main selling point.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Fighting is still prevalent in lower leagues like the ECHL and SPHL. Those guys have even less post-career resources available. Then there's the Quebec Senior league where fighting is the main selling point.

Yep. And you don't hear about the post career struggles of those players.

[Hockey_Ninja]

Remember when Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien and Wade Belak all died within the same year? A step towards removing fighting honestly should’ve started then

[Buff]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

For god's sake ban fighting outright. Do it.
Once it is done we will all look back with shame that it wasn't done sooner.

I agree, but it will take a while for all of us to accept it. Too many barbaric attitudes in today's society. People legitimately believe that hockey exists for the fighting and the skill is just gravy. Sad, really.

[Zarley]

It's a good thing that the heavyweight enforcer role has largely been removed from the NHL. That said, spontaneous fights are an integral part of the game and removing fighting from hockey would be as imbecilic as getting rid of hitting.

[Ozy_Flame]

Why would it be imbecilic?

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by Zarley

That said, spontaneous fights are an integral part of the game and removing fighting from hockey would be as imbecilic as getting rid of hitting.

Are they really though? What makes them integral?

[pseudoreality]

Originally Posted by Zarley

It's a good thing that the heavyweight enforcer role has largely been removed from the NHL. That said, spontaneous fights are an integral part of the game and removing fighting from hockey would be as imbecilic as getting rid of hitting.

Is Olympic hockey with NHL players imbecilic without fighting?

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

There are still people who say “keep your head up, son” and whine whenever people disagree with monster hits that knock players out.

A big part of the problem isn’t just the NHL and what they want, it’s that there are fans who are happy to see these guys die as part of the cost of preserving the “purity” of the sport.

I am one of the “keep your head up” whiners. I am not a supporter of fighting, nor do I like vicious hits that injure people. But don’t misinterpret that for not wanting hockey to be played with the understanding that bodychecks hurt and that the game needs to be played with a physical element.

I like the idea that players with great vision and elusiveness when carrying the puck are rewarded and reckless less skilled players are punished. IMO there is a middle ground where players don’t need to be blown up. And it doesn’t become a stick checking sport either.

[CroFlames]

I think modern-day fighting actually has the ability to deescalate situations. If you have guys constantly hacking and slashing each other all series long, throwing hands typically ends that quickly.

Remember the Monahan-Nuge fight? Pure emotion and I liked it.

[Kipper_3434]

Don't see the need to ban consensual hockey fights. Boxing is still a sport.

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I think modern-day fighting actually has the ability to deescalate situations. If you have guys constantly hacking and slashing each other all series long, throwing hands typically ends that quickly.

Remember the Monahan-Nuge fight? Pure emotion and I liked it.

I feel like it de-escalates because we think it does, and use that as part of our justification to keep it in. Not gonna lie, I like watching a good tilt, but I do feel guilty afterwards that I'm basically cheering on two guys punching each other in the face with bare knuckles.

For health and safety reasons, it really should be banned. I'll still watch NHL hockey after they ban it, and I feel like the majority of the fans would to. You'll get the whining about it being gone, but eventually, like head hits, the fans adapt and realize it's actually pretty dumb to have kept fighting in the game for so long.