103 replies to this topic

[GMRwings1983]

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 by GMRwings1983, 30 September 2011 - 03:32 PM.

[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]

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.

Neil? He is a decent player that has put up the same or more points than Drew Miller season-to-season.

It should not be a game misconduct because there might be more true enforcers in the game. You would have more players who average 5 minutes or less a game because they can be thrown out with little penalty to the team. Further, these players would be more likely to engage the star players of other teams because the star would also receive the misconduct. Also, we wouldn't see as many Nash, Kovy, M. Richards, etc fights, which IMO are great because the star players would hurt their team more by fighting.

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...

I agree with this. I hate seeing players slammed to the ice at the end of a fight, especially when posters, announcers, etc proclaim a win because of it.

[stevie for president]

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]

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.

[WorkingOvertime]

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.

I'll preface my comment by saying that I watch 5-10 games a week. I wouldn't stop watching the Wings, other rivalry games, or the playoffs, but I might stop watching so many other games. For example, I loved watching the Leafs and Islanders last year. There certainly wasn't a fight every game, and I didn't expect one, but I liked knowing that both teams took pride in standing up for themselves. This is one of the elements of hockey that I love (having played) and don't want to see diminished.

FWIW I wouldn't be surprised to the LNAH grow as a result, as well as any other league(s) that still allow fighting or spring up and allow fighting.

Edited by WorkingOvertime, 30 September 2011 - 04:32 PM.

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros]

The thing is, nobody is being forced to fight. Guys that fight know the potential consequences. Something like 98% of NHLers feel fighting has a place in the game. The thing that i could see happening is some type of rule being implemented where the player's helmets have to stay on during the fight or some s***. Once the helmet comes off, the refs step in. I don't really see any reason to try and regulate fighting in the NHL, because there is no clear tie between fighting and the deaths of Rick Rypien, Derek Boogaard, and Wade Belak. It was documented before Rypien's death that he had psychological issues. Boogaard had drug problems. A 5 minute penalty is fine for a fight.

[RedBengals]

keeping helmets on would lead to SO many hand injuries. when someone drops the gloves they know what they're getting into.

[P. Marlowe]

The thing is, nobody is being forced to fight. Guys that fight know the potential consequences. Something like 98% of NHLers feel fighting has a place in the game. The thing that i could see happening is some type of rule being implemented where the player's helmets have to stay on during the fight or some s***. Once the helmet comes off, the refs step in. I don't really see any reason to try and regulate fighting in the NHL, because there is no clear tie between fighting and the deaths of Rick Rypien, Derek Boogaard, and Wade Belak. It was documented before Rypien's death that he had psychological issues. Boogaard had drug problems. A 5 minute penalty is fine for a fight.

This might happen. Sounds very realistic. Not many want to see a player passing out and hitting his head to the ice without helmet on.

[55fan]

keeping helmets on would lead to SO many hand injuries. when someone drops the gloves they know what they're getting into.

Not to mention that it would be a royal pain in the patootie for fighting goalies.

[esteef]

If they ban fighting how will Kostopoulus get his head pounded in?

esteef

[Drake_Marcus]

Call it the "Johan Franzen" rule.

That's harsh man. Franzen doesn't tap out like a sissy. He carefully positions a ref between himself and the other guy, like a real tough guy.

Franzen's like a little brother-- he's tough when mom's around to keep her eye on you but once you get him alone he's not interested in mixing it up.

[Doc Holliday]

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

You really think this is comparable to the UFC analogy?

Edited by Doc Holliday, 30 September 2011 - 09:20 PM.

[GMRwings1983]

You really think this is comparable to the UFC analogy?

Yes.

Why does someone have to watch the UFC to watch athletes fighting?

There's plenty of hockey fans who enjoy that part of the game and enjoy watching guys drop the mitts. It's been a part of the game a long time. I hate the whole "go watch the UFC" crap anti-fighting people always say.

I want my hockey to be physical, which includes hitting and fighting. If people don't like that kind of hockey, they should go watch figure skating, instead of telling people like me to go watch the UFC.

[Doc Holliday]

Yes.

Why does someone have to watch the UFC to watch athletes fighting?

There's plenty of hockey fans who enjoy that part of the game and enjoy watching guys drop the mitts. It's been a part of the game a long time. I hate the whole "go watch the UFC" crap anti-fighting people always say.

I want my hockey to be physical, which includes hitting and fighting. If people don't like that kind of hockey, they should go watch figure skating, instead of telling people like me to go watch the UFC.

The problem is figure skating doesn't even compare to hockey, except for the fact both sports are on the ice.

If you are going to argue for fighting that's fine. But you are belittling the sport itself to defend an aspect of it you enjoy.

[Konnan511]

I don't care about fighting, staged fights annoy me, but fighting is necessary. It seems thought that the guys that need their asses beat, the ones cheap shotting players, don't own up to their cheap shots.

[13dangledangle]

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.

Soon you can just watch the NHL...

[jollymania]

well if you can't hit in the head theres no use for fighting, at least soon i won't have to watch or play hockey any more and it wont rule over my life

[Konnan511]

well if you can't hit in the head theres no use for fighting, at least soon i won't have to watch or play hockey any more and it wont rule over my life

It's pretty sad if that's all you watch hockey for. I know a few girls that only watch hockey for fighting, but that's ok because they are good looking and don't know any better. Gretzky never fought, Fedorov never fought, Bure never fought, Yzerman never fought, Lidstrom never fights and they were/are the price of admission.

Note: I don't consider wrestling an opponent down to the ice a fight. I consider what Datsyuk and Perry did fighting and whatever Lilja use to try to do was considered fighting, though.

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros]

well if you can't hit in the head theres no use for fighting, at least soon i won't have to watch or play hockey any more and it wont rule over my life

That's all you watch hockey for is the fighting?