NHL will Look into Fighting: Shanahan

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

I figured something like this would happen after the offseason deaths and the new "player safety" measures Shanny is laying out. He doesn't say much, but I don't like the sound of what he's hinting at.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2011/09/29/sp-shanahan-national.html

[unsaddleddonald 357]

surprising coming from a tough mother****** who was a great fighter

[Crashnburnluder 385]

I honestly don't know what I would do if the NHL got rid of fighting. It has it's place in the game and is needed. Things would get a lot worse if players didn't have to worry about dropping the gloves, and there would be a lot more chespshots and bad hits...

While were at it why don't they start using a ball instead of a puck, it's a lot safer for players and goalies a like, and without fighting, might as well go mandatory full cage.

Edited September 30, 2011 by Crashnburnluder

[P. Marlowe 748]

I guess this means that in the future you can still fight but not hit the opponent in the head. No biggie.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

I guess this means that in the future you can still fight but not hit the opponent in the head. No biggie.

As long as the principal point of contact isn't the head.

[ogreslayer 1,069]

Interesting comments from one Mr. Ken Dryden on hits targeting the head, including asking the question "What is fighting if not hitting targeting the head?".

The NHL rulebook is judicious in distinguishing a bodycheck to the head from other contact to the head, treating fighting as its own separate category. For an illegal check, it is necessary that "the head is targeted and the principal point of contact." But in a fight, is the head not "targeted?" Is the head not "the principal point of contact?" Is a fist not part of the body? And in fights today, with fighters who can truly fight, what's the difference between being hit in the head by Niklas Kronwall's shoulder or Zdeno Chara's fist? This is about head injuries, not fighting's place in hockey. This is about the outrageous damage that hits to the head are doing to lives and to a sport.

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7036426/time-nhl-get-head-smart

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

Interesting comments from one Mr. Ken Dryden on hits targeting the head, including asking the question "What is fighting if not hitting targeting the head?".

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7036426/time-nhl-get-head-smart

Good point, but nothing new from Dryden.

He's always been against fighting from what I can remember.

[stevkrause 1,247]

Fighting will never go away, but maybe they institute some sort of tap out rule (clutch the opponent and tap out?) and make body slams/take downs illeagal and suspense worthy offenses... this is where the most danger comes into play...

I'm just throwing out ideas on ways they could crack down, while still keeping the element in the game, not necesarily proposing this... although, I definately wouldn't be opposed to it...

[P. Marlowe 748]

Violence is fun but head injuries are serious. Maybe "tough" guys could implement hitting the belly and kicking the crotch into their tactics.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

Fighting will never go away, but maybe they institute some sort of tap out rule (clutch the opponent and tap out?) and make body slams/take downs illeagal and suspense worthy offenses... this is where the most danger comes into play...

I'm just throwing out ideas on ways they could crack down, while still keeping the element in the game, not necesarily proposing this... although, I definately wouldn't be opposed to it...

Call it the "Johan Franzen" rule.

[wings1110 184]

If fighting is banned I and im sure others will never watch another NHL game in my life, not because the game isnt interesting and entertaining still, but because I love the sport of hockey, the way it has been for over 100 years, and I will do it as sort of a boycott. This is the game ive bled, cried, and sat in hospital beds for, and I wouldnt change it for anything. People often question my take on hockey because I want it rough and tough like it should be, but it should be known my brother broke his neck playing hockey, and he nor i would change it for the world.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

If they're going to take a serious look at fighting in the NHL, I'm glad a guy with 90+ NHL fights in his career will be heading it up.

[Barrie 900]

If the NHL gets serious about suspensions, which they FINALLY are, they don't need fighting anymore.

I'm ok with fighting being banned. If I wanted to watch fighting, I'd watch the UFC.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

If the NHL gets serious about suspensions, which they FINALLY are, they don't need fighting anymore.

I'm ok with fighting being banned. If I wanted to watch fighting, I'd watch the UFC.

If I wanted to watch figure skating, I'd watch the Olympics.

If I wanted to watch grown men cheapshot each other without any physical retaliation or standing up for one's teammates, I'd watch football.

Edited September 30, 2011 by GMRwings1983

[RedBengals 27]

there's some stuff I can see them wanting to get rid of. They've shown they'll suspend players for leaving the bench to fight. I imagine cheap shots will now be suspensions or locking up with a guy who doesn't want to go. they'll never eliminate fighting, just like when they tried after the lockout its part of the game that is never going away. late hits in a fight will probably looked at, it's not mma players need to let up if the dude drops.

[Barrie 900]

I honestly don't know what I would do if the NHL got rid of fighting. It has it's place in the game and is needed. Things would get a lot worse if players didn't have to worry about dropping the gloves, and there would be a lot more chespshots and bad hits...

There's not going to be more cheapshots and bad hits now that 5 or more game suspensions being thrown around daily.

If I wanted to watch figure skating, I'd watch the Olympics.

If I wanted to watch grown men cheapshot each other without any physical retaliation or standing up for one's teammates, I'd watch football.

Watch an OHL game, they have a complete ban on head shots, and the game is fine.

[Carman 387]

Fighting is already useless because of the instigator rule so why not.

[WorkingOvertime 536]

There's not going to be more cheapshots and bad hits now that 5 or more game suspensions being thrown around daily.

Watch an OHL game, they have a complete ban on head shots, and the game is fine.

They still have fighting...

[Barrie 900]

They still have fighting...

I heard a good point about fighting, the NHL should treat it like other sports, you can fight, but you'll get tossed for the rest of the game, maybe more.

The game would be better without guys like Chris Neil and Colton Orr.

[RedBengals 27]

why? five minutes is a fine amount of time. tossing for a game is pointless. some fights deserve to happen and they only do if both guys want to go.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

I wonder if fans around the league feel like people on this forum do?

I mean, the Wings never fight and are dead last in fighting majors every year. I can see how fans here are influenced by our team's mentality. If we had more fighters, there probably wouldn't be so many anti-fighting posters here.

It's doubtful this talk about how fighting is useless and should be banned occurs as frequently on other hockey forums around the league. Just my opinion, though.

I heard a good point about fighting, the NHL should treat it like other sports, you can fight, but you'll get tossed for the rest of the game, maybe more.

The game would be better without guys like Chris Neil and Colton Orr.

No, the game would be better without guys like Jarkko Ruutu and Matt Cooke.

Edited September 30, 2011 by GMRwings1983

[Guest Shoreline]

I don't mind the NHL revisiting the place fighting has in the sport. However, I don't like the PC flag/touch-hockey like s*** they're allowing it to be turned into, bogging it down with bulls*** rules like the NFL has aimed excessively at protection, and society's strange way of trying to pacify a largely violent sport with non-violence. If the NHL does go this route, well, looks like I'll have to find some other way to enjoy hockey, as hockey does exist outside of this league. As it is, I pretty much entirely ditched watching the NFL for these very reasons.

[WorkingOvertime 536]

.

Edited October 14, 2016 by WorkingOvertime

[stevie for president 42]

I'm good with fighting. Fans love it, players love it, and it absolutely has its place in the sport of hockey. I am against punching a bloodied player or a player that is covering his head, and i absolutely think the take downs should come with an additional minor or even a game misconduct. The so-called "unwritten rules" or "code" should be written and enforced. the unwritten rules are mutual agreements between fighters that are there because it makes fighting safer. So simply write the rules down. theoretically it'll make fighting safer.

I wish they'd do something about the cheap shots after the whistle though. that wings-ducks series in 2009 was the most egregious example i could think of off the top of my head. The penguins would probably need a new game plan if they did that though.

[Electrophile 3,554]

For argument's sake, let's say the NHL outlaws fighting. What are you going to do - quit watching? Baseball fans grew to accept the DH, divisions, the Wild Card......if worse comes to worse and there's no more fighting in hockey, fans will accept it or they'll cry about it and find something else to watch.