Fighting and Olympic Hockey

[Behind Enemy Lines in CO 11]

Here is the article:

http://deadspin.com/5481172/ok-seriously-t...ne=true&s=i

Discuss (as he quickly runs out of the forum).

[Guest Howard He Do It?!]

Anyone who says they like Olympic hockey better because it has no fighting is an idiot. The NHL should stop catering to fair weather fans and Bettman should promptly take a long walk off of a short peer.

Edited February 26, 2010 by Howard He Do It?!

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

IIHF Rule 528. I love it. Doesn't hurt the quality of play now, does it?

[Guest Howard He Do It?!]

IIHF Rule 528. I love it. Doesn't hurt the quality of play now, does it?

Having fighting doesn't hurt the quality of play either. That is the entire point of the article.

[btweinberg 3]

Anyone who says they like Olympic hockey better because it has no fighting is an idiot. The NHL should stop catering to fair weather fans and Bettman should promptly take a long walk off of a short peer.

I agree completely. I thought the article was great, and agree with the reasons he gave as to why the tournament is exciting. That said, I would NOT put it past Bettman to get rid of fighting in order to grab the casual fan.

I LOVE fighting in hockey! It is one of the things that makes this sport great. What I don't like, and what the NHL should make a rule for, is when a meat head comes in and takes a cheap shot on someone, right after that someone made a perfectly legal hit. Ex: When Kronwall smoked Havlat (legally), and Byfuglein decides to take a cheap shot revenge. That sort of thing should get a player at least a 5 minute major.

[Guest micah]

What purpose would fighting serve in an Olympic tournament? All of these games are like Cup Final games - they are not regular season NHL games and cannot be compared to them. Author is correct.

...though tbh, I wouldn't have minded if one of the Ruskies would have laid a beatdown on Corey Perry in retaliation for his making them look like hapless hacks (and in response to his general doucheyness). Some fans might have thought that such would have "disturbed the flow of the game" though I guess.

[zettie85 106]

I agree completely. I thought the article was great, and agree with the reasons he gave as to why the tournament is exciting. That said, I would NOT put it past Bettman to get rid of fighting in order to grab the casual fan.

I LOVE fighting in hockey! It is one of the things that makes this sport great. What I don't like, and what the NHL should make a rule for, is when a meat head comes in and takes a cheap shot on someone, right after that someone made a perfectly legal hit. Ex: When Kronwall smoked Havlat (legally), and Byfuglein decides to take a cheap shot revenge. That sort of thing should get a player at least a 5 minute major.

They have a rule. It's the instigator rule.

[btweinberg 3]

They have a rule. It's the instigator rule.

Difference between having a rule and using it properly.

[pockets 9]

the reason the games are more exciting is because of the talent not the lack of fighting. When you have 4 lines of top talent or near top talent guys. You see more action then when you have two NHL 4th lines just bogging down and slowing the pace of the game down

[Stinkyness 10]

the reason the games are more exciting is because of the talent not the lack of fighting. When you have 4 lines of top talent or near top talent guys. You see more action then when you have two NHL 4th lines just bogging down and slowing the pace of the game down

This.

We need retraction, no more expansion.

[jeff48109 474]

This.

We need retraction, no more expansion.

not going to happen. it will result in loss of jobs, not just players.

[VM1138 1,921]

The thing I notice is that the guys in Olympic hockey do a lot of things that are a bit cheaper than in the NHL because they know there won't be any fights.

Fights belong in the NHL period.

[Jwo 7]

I don't enjoy watching a defenseman or goalie getting rundown in Olympics. That's how players get hurt. With fighting this would help stop these guys from getting run down because then you got someone who will stand up too the person doing this.

[Zion 93]

I agree completely. I thought the article was great, and agree with the reasons he gave as to why the tournament is exciting. That said, I would NOT put it past Bettman to get rid of fighting in order to grab the casual fan.

I LOVE fighting in hockey! It is one of the things that makes this sport great. What I don't like, and what the NHL should make a rule for, is when a meat head comes in and takes a cheap shot on someone, right after that someone made a perfectly legal hit. Ex: When Kronwall smoked Havlat (legally), and Byfuglein decides to take a cheap shot revenge. That sort of thing should get a player at least a 5 minute major.

I agree with this, but your example is flawed. Byfuglien was trying to fight Kronwall, and idiotically risked stepping on or falling on an unconscious teammate. Moronic. A more appropriate example would be Steve Ott's crosscheck to Kronwall's back after he stepped up and hit Mike Ribiero at the blue line (YouTube it, if you haven't seen it). That is the kind of cowardice that needs to end with someone's career finished (Ott's, in this case). In this case, the Matt Johnson Treatment is warranted.