Earlier today up here in Canada a young hockey player passed away after sustaining a severe head injury during an on-ice fight in a men's senior hockey game three weeks ago. See link for more info:

http://www.tsn.ca/canadian_hockey/story/?id=261626&lid=headline&lpos=topStory_main

http://www.thestar.com/sports/article/560798

My questions are as follows: what role, if any, should fighting have in hockey? Is it a necessary part of the game?

Now this was not an NHL player biting the dust so it probably won't get major media play down in the States, however I can tell you the media up here in Canada is going crazy over this, and will continue to do so for some time.

As you might expect, the anti-fighting crowd is up in arms and is going to attempt to use this tragedy as a way to advance their cause and push for the complete banning of fighting in hockey.

While I personally don't think that this will change all that much in the NHL, besides a rule possibly being brought in preventing the voluntary removal of helmets during fights, the question remains: does fighting have a place in the game of hockey? I'd be curious to hear some views of hockey fans on this board.

1/2/2009 2:56:35 PM

i'd like to see the royal rumble on the ice that is usually reserved for comedy movies

1/2/2009 2:58:37 PM

fighting is part of the game...as long as there continues to be people taking runs at superstars, there will be fighting

1/2/2009 3:01:11 PM

Fights in hockey are like crashes in NASCAR

If they didn't happen, they'd lose half their fanbase

This will be brushed under the rug lickity split

1/2/2009 3:01:42 PM

pretty sure boxing and mma are still around after fighters have died.

1/2/2009 3:05:15 PM

^^^see I tend to believe the same thing. However, you see the Olympics take place and there is not one single fight in the whole tournament while the best hockey you could ever hope to see is played. Right now, the World Junior Hockey tourney is going on -- again, not a single fight has taken place in the tourney and the hockey is outstanding.

If the refs called the slashing and all the other nonsense that goes on and there were heavy suspensions/fines for taking runs at superstars then perhaps fighting becomes obsolete.

I always believed hockey was a game of controlled violence, thus the occasional fight was bound to happen as a result of things getting out of control. But then again, there's rugby, football, and other contact sports where fighting doesn't really play a part in the game to the extent it does in hockey.

[Edited on January 2, 2009 at 3:09 PM. Reason : ..]

1/2/2009 3:09:07 PM

they didn't ban skates after that dude's throat got sliced, so why ban fighting

Quote :

"But then again, there's rugby, football, and other contact sports where fighting doesn't really play a part in the game to the extent it does in hockey."

yeah, in football, you just get your eyes poked or fingers broken or oil checked at the bottom of a pile up.

[Edited on January 2, 2009 at 3:11 PM. Reason : .]

1/2/2009 3:10:01 PM

while there is little all out fighting in rugby, there is a lot of illegal contact and revenge hits

1/2/2009 3:11:19 PM

^^you know that is a valid point to be made. Fighting is a "risky" part of the sport. You do it and you could get hurt, like laying down to block a shot or simply trying to legally check someone into the boards. Accidents happen, so where do you draw the line?

[Edited on January 2, 2009 at 3:12 PM. Reason : ..]

1/2/2009 3:12:18 PM

I once went to a fight and a hockey game broke out.

Rodney Dangerfield

1/2/2009 3:14:58 PM

Quote :

"My questions are as follows: what role, if any, should fighting have in hockey? Is it a necessary part of the game?"

I've always heard from hockey players and coaches that the game would be a lot more violent and dangerous without giving the players the chance to sort it out in a controlled fight setting. The ability to "police" the game themselves prevents cheap shots (or at least a good amount of them) that would probably be more harmful than some punches.

1/2/2009 3:15:46 PM

^^^I take the same view as in baseball...in game regulation. You hit one of our guys, we're gonna get one of yours....within reason of course (no intentional head throwing, just like no hockey cheap shots like the one that paralyzed that guy). Imo that keeps players honest much more than fines, suspensions ect...

every hockey team has an enforcer to protect thier star players.

[Edited on January 2, 2009 at 3:19 PM. Reason : ^ditto]

1/2/2009 3:18:51 PM

Quote :

"pretty sure boxing and mma are still around after fighters have died."

I didn't know you won hockey games by beating up your opponents

Or were you saying you won MMA matches after hitting an object into a net?

Quote :

"fighting is part of the game...as long as there continues to be people taking runs at superstars, there will be fighting"

Just hit them back. It works in Football with no fighting.

1/2/2009 5:14:16 PM

Quote :

"Fights in hockey are like crashes in NASCAR If they didn't happen, they'd lose half their fanbase "

yup

1/2/2009 5:47:56 PM

Although it is despicable- no other major sport allows, much less condones fighting (unless you count boxing/ufc where the opponents probably sign something consenting to not take legal action if they are killed/injured), the NHL is having a hard enough time staying afloat economically. It would be very difficult to take away a long-time tradition and something that attracts viewers/fans, and it would be hard to enforce such a rule. At the same time I don't think a ban on fighting would hurt the NHL as much as many would think- I can't really remember watching or hearing about a lot of fights in the playoffs/finals and those are the most watched games of the year. Fighting is risky, however it is not a part of the sport- it is a sideshow that entertains drunken fans of brutality.

[Edited on January 2, 2009 at 9:07 PM. Reason : You draw the line when play stops and people are punching each other as opposed to legal checking.]

1/2/2009 9:03:43 PM

Quote :

"Fighting is risky, however it is not a part of the sport- it is a sideshow that entertains drunken fans of brutality. "

1/2/2009 9:18:01 PM

Quote :

"I've always heard from hockey players and coaches that the game would be a lot more violent and dangerous without giving the players the chance to sort it out in a controlled fight setting. The ability to "police" the game themselves prevents cheap shots (or at least a good amount of them) that would probably be more harmful than some punches."

I don't buy that for a second. This situation exists in every rough sport. Penalize cheap shots and unnecessary roughness. Players aren't going to take cheap shots at the expense of losing the game. It works in football, basketball, and soccer.

1/2/2009 9:42:59 PM

I have always been a big fan of fighting. Self policing a lot of times is necessary. In baseball if you throw a pitch at another team's star player, your star player will get the same treatment the next inning. I think this self-policing is necessary. It's basically an immediate payment for your dirty play. Tonight Ray Whitney was crosschecked from behind and Scott Walker immediately wanted to fight the Blues player. It's a way of sticking up for your player without cheap shots (which to me beaning players in baseball is).

I think that if fighting was eliminated, there would be more dirty shots as the suspensions/fines for taking a run at a guy are laughable. When the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup, they lost Erik Cole back in January to a broken neck and Brooks Orpik got 3 games for doing it. The only way to eliminate it would be to make it so the player must sit out until the player they injured came back (which will probably never happen). I don't see the problem in sticking up for a teammate that was cheap shotted (or even a clean hit and knocking them out) and going after the person who did it, but then again I've played hockey since I was 5 and have always felt things like this were a part of the game.

1/2/2009 10:05:09 PM

You guys do you realize that the Instigator Rule has already significantly decreased the amount of fighting in the NHL, thanks Gary Bettman(rot in hell asshole).

1/2/2009 10:13:43 PM

< -- moron

[Edited on January 2, 2009 at 11:49 PM. Reason : ]

1/2/2009 11:48:20 PM

Well the risk of a 5 minute major and game misconduct didn't seem to stop Strachan from his hit on Whitney tonight...

fighting isn't going anywhere.

1/2/2009 11:52:17 PM

It's always been a part of the game. The fans love fighting. The players don't mind. The coaches like the fights. What's the big deal?

Anybody who says they don't like fighting in the NHL has to be out of their mind.

1/3/2009 12:01:19 AM

If you don't get it, I can't explain it to you. It's horrible that a kid died, but he's playing in a goon league. This will only get a seriously look from the NHL, AHL, and CHL when someone in a major hockey league dies in a similar incident, and even then fighting will remain.

I've tried to explain fighting to many people, and I've come to the following conclusion: if you've watched 25+ games of hockey (meaning you've likely seen at least one incident of severe boarding or headhunting) and you still don't understand fighting, I can't explain it in a way that will make you understand.

1/3/2009 12:35:41 AM

Fighting is allowed so that skinny little guys who are fast on the ice can play. What other contact sport has players who can't take a hit so they must have goons baby sit them? They need to outlaw fighting and let the puny little punks that they call superstars get hit. I still wouldn't watch it but I'd have much more respect for the game.

^

Quote :

"If you don't get it, I can't explain it to you."

That's a great argument.

Just b/c its always been a part of the game, it makes it exciting, etc are not reasons to allow fighting in a team sport. The differences b/t football and hockey are staggering. Why can't a hockey superstar take a hit, pick himself off the ice, and keep playing like every player on the football field? Why does he have to have a goon beat up the guy on the other team who was just playing the game?

Quit being such pansies, learn to take a hit, and play the game.

[Edited on January 3, 2009 at 8:48 AM. Reason : ^]

1/3/2009 8:38:46 AM

1. There are no walls in football. Never underestimate the difference between being hit in open space and being hit into an immovable object.
2. The size difference between a DB and a WR is nowhere near the size difference between someone like Whitney and Strachan.
3. There's also the matter of protecting goaltenders, who are completely vunerable during the play, since they must think of the puck before themselves, wear no protection at all on the backs of their bodies, and wear helmets that do very little to protect from the large, blunt impact of a fist or body.

Like I said...if you don't understand after watching the way the system works, I can't describe it in a way that will make you understand.

1/3/2009 9:11:02 AM

There are walls in Arena football.

Also, there's often a pretty major size difference when you've got wide receivers running crossing routes over the middle, where the linebackers are. This is where some of the biggest hits in football take place, but still no fighting.

1/3/2009 9:26:13 AM

i bet that kid that died wouldnt want to be remembered as the guy that ended all fighting in hockey

1/3/2009 9:34:51 AM

There are padded walls in arena football, and they're not at head height.

Don't even get me started on the seamless glass they used to have in NHL arenas.

1/3/2009 10:05:25 AM

Did you just fucking bring arena football into the argument?

Hockey has Canadians with blades on their fucking feet, swinging 6 foot long sticks on an icy sheet of concrete surrounded by walls and glass. HOW IS THAT LIKE FOOTBALL?

Dirty plays will always happen in hockey... as well as cheap shots. Fighting allows the goons to resolve their issues with their fists... If it weren't for fighting, you'd have more McSorley and Bertuzzi incidents.

1/3/2009 10:18:02 AM

I would like to see an actual hockey fan argue against fights as opposed to just some clown who doesn't like hockey in general complaining against it.

Fights, like 5-on-3s and breakaways, are momentum shifters in a game. It's already been properly articulated that once you understand the game you see how fights fit in and that it generally isn't just some guy versus some other guy. There are roleplayers on teams who go out and stick up for your better and/or smaller players. Hockey is a physically demanding sport as it is without contact. If you don't believe that then get off of your ass and lace up some skates. Once you combine the potential for getting plowed over you see that it is important to the longevity of the season not to arbitrarily injure players on the other team.

1/3/2009 11:28:43 AM

Quote :

"Fights in hockey are like crashes in NASCAR If they didn't happen, they'd lose half their fanbase"

I would go crazy if I had to sit through a NASCAR race or hockey game without the possibility of knowing a crash or fight could occur.

1/3/2009 11:33:47 AM

Quote :

"Fights in hockey are like crashes in NASCAR If they didn't happen, they'd lose half their fanbase"

I would go crazy if I had to sit through a NASCAR race or hockey game without the possibility of knowing a crash or fight could occur.

1/3/2009 11:33:47 AM

Quote :

"I don't buy that for a second. This situation exists in every rough sport. Penalize cheap shots and unnecessary roughness. Players aren't going to take cheap shots at the expense of losing the game. It works in football, basketball, and soccer."

Yeah but like has been said already, there aren't walls to be thrown up against in these sports. How much vulnerable are you skating on ice than standing on the ground? Which of those sports have sticks you can wield as weapons?

1/3/2009 11:34:23 AM

Quote :

"I would like to see an actual hockey fan argue against fights as opposed to just some clown who doesn't like hockey in general complaining against it."

1/3/2009 11:45:58 AM

Quote :

"I still wouldn't watch it but I'd have much more respect for the game."

GTFO of a Hockey thread if you don't even watch the fucking sport.... Your comments are void and irrelevant.

1/3/2009 12:07:02 PM

I've played hockey, football and lacrosse. I can easily say that getting hit into the boards in hockey is far more painful than either of the sports when getting hit out in the open. These big hits you talk about in football are not occuring every couple of minutes (and some times every couple of seconds). For the idiot who brought up Arena Football, the claim with walls has already been debunked. Strap on some skates and go play in a dirty league and you'll wish you could fight due to the stupid things people do. Besides why would anyone want to fight in football, between the hard helmet and cage to the ridiculous pads, there is no point as for a real fight you'd have to take that off as a real fight like in hockey would result in broken hands. Look at most hockey pads and compare them to football, if you honestly think football players are tougher overall than hockey players you are simply ridiculous and have never watched playoff hockey.

And as was quoted earlier:

Quote :

"GTFO of a Hockey thread if you don't even watch the fucking sport.... Your comments are void and irrelevant."

1/3/2009 12:15:52 PM

Quote :

"Quit being such pansies, learn to take a hit, and play the game."

1/3/2009 1:48:38 PM

You're right, dude.

The slightest hit in hockey instigates a fight.

1/3/2009 1:55:22 PM

Quote :

"You're right, dude. The slightest hit in hockey instigates a fight. "

How many hockey games have you actually watched? If there was a fight for the "slightest hit" then there would be a lot more than the less than 1 fight per game pace that is going on right now. Put it this way, say someone stomped your favorite quarterback after he was down and knocked him out for the rest of the game/season, wouldn't you want one of your players to exact revenge on the other team? It's the same thing in hockey only more immediate results occur since the game is a lot more faster than football can be played. If you were a true fan of the game of hockey, you would understand the true importance of having the enforcer(s) stick up for your star players after they are cheap shotted. I don't know the numbers, but I can guarantee you that concussion incidents are a lot higher in hockey than football as a result of the hits a lot of players take into the boards, do you think a concussed player can go after the person who hit him? Same for players who were head hunted, this is why enforcers/fighters are necessary to prevent or retaliate against such actions.

Quote :

"i bet that kid that died wouldnt want to be remembered as the guy that ended all fighting in hockey"

I must agree with this. Every Canadian I've ever come across has always viewed fighting as part of the game and a necessary one at that. I feel bad for the kid's family and all, but I think he would still want it in the game (speculation of course). It was a tragic result of a fight, but I still don't think it needs to be removed as a result.

1/3/2009 3:18:35 PM

for the record

= sarcasm

1/3/2009 3:20:06 PM

lol

1/3/2009 4:03:23 PM

It's okay, Stein is just angry because he owes me two beers so far this season.

But then again I still owe him like 8 from last year.

[Edited on January 3, 2009 at 4:39 PM. Reason : .]

1/3/2009 4:38:55 PM

In NHL fight news, Wade Redden just dropped this Clark kid on the Capitals.

1/3/2009 8:07:26 PM

what a dumb thread. you must not know anything about hockey.

1/4/2009 2:33:37 PM

Quote :

""I would like to see an actual hockey fan argue against fights as opposed to just some clown who doesn't like hockey in general complaining against it.""

...

Quote :

"I would go crazy if I had to sit through a NASCAR race or hockey game without the possibility of knowing a crash or fight could occur."

guess Surferfag just took himself out of that argument. If you couldn't watch a hockey game and enjoy the hell out of it even if fighting was banned, then you have minimal appreciation, if any, for the sport and the talent on ice, and you sure as hell aren't a true hockey fan.





[Edited on January 4, 2009 at 2:57 PM. Reason : ]

1/4/2009 2:51:39 PM

if you think about it, hockey is the perfect white person sport

1/4/2009 2:58:01 PM

Semins.... "fight"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDRCpN4OMpM

1/4/2009 3:08:05 PM

A must read for this thread http://sportsnet.ca/hockey/blogs/2009/01/05/laraque_last_word/

Quote :

"Before starting this blog, I just want to let everyone know that this will be my last one. It's unfortunate but it is a team rule that Canadiens players are not allowed to do blogs simply because of the many requests our team gets and it would be unfair to all the other people asking us for similar projects. As you can imagine, when you're a French-Canadian playing in Montréal you get a lot of requests so I agree with the team's decision because this makes it fair for everyone. I want first to offer my condolences to Don Sanderson's family. Don is the 21-year-old man who passed away on Friday after hitting his head on the ice in a hockey fight on Dec. 14. He was a defenceman for the Whitby Dunlops in the Senior AAA Ontario Hockey Association. Reportedly, the injury happened because both fighters took their helmets off and when they fell, Sanderson hit his head and then fell into a coma. This incident brings up an interesting debate: Should we let fighters take off their helmets? What should we do with players with visors who have to take their helmets off? What would happen in the American Hockey League where everyone wears a visor? Do the referees come in to stop the fight as soon as one guy loses his helmet? Of course, all this probably won't change, but when an incident like this happens we have to learn from it and see what we can do so it never happens again. And since I consider every fighter in any league a fellow brother, this deeply saddens me and I hope this is an incident that will never happen again. So this incident brings the first subject that I wanted to talk about and that's simply that fighting is not just the toughest job in hockey, but in all professional sports. Fighting is not easy, not easy physically nor mentally. During a fight, you pretty much fight for your life because as you know, many things can happen and on top of that, you are being watched by millions of people. And whether or not someone watches your game live, your fight will end up on YouTube forever. In fighting you risk many injuries; the broken nose is an obvious one, but a broken orbital bone is something else and the thing people have to realize is that there is a life after hockey. So while you do this job, you have to make sure you take care of yourself. I don't want to look like the Elephant Man when I retire if you know what I mean. What might surprise some people is that the mental part of fighting can sometimes be tougher than the physical part. A lot of the time, fighting starts a couple days before the actual game. You look at the schedule and get really worked up because you have a game against a team that has a top tough guy and mentally that's tough. You think about the guy, you watch his fight on YouTube, you try to tell yourself it's going to be okay but it's not. No one can ever understand this pressure unless you're a fighter yourself. I used to feel that way in my first couple years. I used to not be able to sleep before games and I would sweat in the afternoon. It was not a good feeling. Sometimes I was even praying that the other guy -- or even me -- would be scratched so the fight wouldn't happen. It was like this for me for about three years, but after a while you gain a reputation, you do well and get confident, and things turn around. Now I laugh about it and I'm not nervous at all. I just know how the other guy feels before, let's say, facing me and this reassures me that it's no big deal. My old coach, Craig MacTavish in Edmonton, used to even say that when I was fighting, my heart rate wouldn't change. He couldn't be more right about that. Now I smile and I'm really calm, but it takes a lot of years to get there, and a lot of wins to be that confident. The way it all started for me is actually quite ironic considering the type of job I have today in the NHL. All through my youth I had to fight and defend myself because of racism, and now that I'm in the NHL, it's kind of just natural for me. But don't get me wrong -- I would love to be a skilled guy, make $10 million a year and ask my team to get me a guy to defend me that makes 10 times less, but unfortunately I was not talented enough and will never be! lol! I fight because it's my job, not because I like it. How many fighters like fighting anyway? I've talked to many tough guys and I can't even name you one. We do it because it's our job; that's it. I never talk about fights; I never look at my fights or get revved up about it. I often wish my opponent good luck and always talk to the guy in the penalty box after the fight to ask him if he's okay or say good job. I never fight mad and maybe that's an advantage in a way because you're more in control of what you're doing. I also never wish for anyone to get hurt in a fight because I respect all my fellow brothers and when did winning a fight become not enough? You don't need to embarrass the guy and if you want respect from your peers, there is a lot of stuff you have to do. THE CODE Which brings me to the next subject: The Code. The Code is unwritten -- everyone knows it, but not everyone follows it, and those who don't are not respected. When you retire, respect is all you have left, and you want people to say that you were honourable at all times. At least I do. The Code says things like: * not fighting a guy at the end of his shift * not jumping guys to get a head start * never punch a guy when he's down (that's the most important thing for me; players -- and referees -- know I never do) * and, especially, don't celebrate after a fight. You see that stuff a lot in junior hockey, but for guys who do it in the NHL, it's embarrassing and shows no respect for the other guy. Remember that everything you do comes back to you; you do that, it will happen to you because everyone is watching and talking! You have to have a strong character to be a fighter. By that I mean when you're a tough guy, you're always an easy target. When your team loses a few games and they have to make a change, they scratch the fighter. A lot of fighters skate in the warmups all the time just so the coaches can see if the other tough guy is playing. Otherwise you're scratched. You fight for your team all season long but come playoff time, your season is done and that's the toughest thing to take because playoff hockey is the best part of hockey. One of the best stories that I will never forget is when the Oilers won the Stanley Cup in 1990 and the first guy Mark Messier gave the Cup to was Dave Brown, even though he hadn't played one playoff game. But all season long Brown made sure guys like Mark had all the room they needed, and trust me they did. That was just another reason why Mark Messier will always be my all-time favourite player. Another story about Dave Brown that I will never forget is during my first Oilers training camp when I was a rookie, I played my first exhibition game and Brown was facing me. All I could think about is when he broke Stu Grimson's face and I was terrified. I looked down so much that I could see my goalie between my legs, lol! So I did one of the smartest things I have ever done -- I fought some other guy they had so I can still be alive today! I also remember my first two fights in the American Hockey League didn't go so well. I lost to Rocky Thompson and Sasha Lakovic one after another. I was just coming out of the Quebec junior league with a big reputation, which just shows you a junior reputation doesn't mean a thing. But since then I have fought legends like Tony Twist, Jim McKenzie, Stu Grimson, Rob Ray, Tie Domi, and the all-time best Bob Probert. Again, against those guys I was just hoping to come out alive! lol! Then my reputation was established. That's also another reason why when an up-and-coming fighter asks a guy to fight to make a name for himself, you kind of have to agree because if guys didn't do it to you, you wouldn't have that respect. It has to be like a turning wheel. FIGHTING HAS CHANGED Fighting has changed a lot over the years. A lot of guys are lucky they weren't in the league 15 years ago. In those days, everyone was tough, everyone fought, and everyone was held accountable. Now, there's no policing, players are getting slashed in the face, guys are getting elbowed and hit in the head, and more and more guys are getting hit from behind. Speaking of which, it's a real joke now how guys are turning their back to checks. For a physical player, it makes the job harder because you always have to be ready to stop in case the player turns his back to you. It's a joke how some players turn around at the last moment to draw a penalty. In the past, nobody turned and if you did, too bad. But hitting from behind wasn't a problem then. Guys were always ready, so there's simple way to fix it by taking away the instigator rule. Let's do an experiment and take it out for a year and see how many fewer cheap shots we would see. Of course, there would be more fights but hey, isn't fighting popular? Who are the most loved players of every team in general? Fighters! We want to grow the game; fighting would certainly help. I remember back in the day, people would show up three hours before the game because they knew that Probert and Domi were going to get into a fight. Isn't that excitement? Now times have changed. My theory was always that the fan who worked 9 to 5, who worked his ass off and got dirty at work, identified more with a fighter because just like them we don't have it easy and have to get dirty too. Interesting theory, huh? And in blue-collar towns, it's definitely the case!"

CONTINUED BELOW...

1/6/2009 12:24:33 PM

Quote :

"Now the big question: do we need a heavyweight? Yes, and here's tons of reasons why: The top team in the West is San Jose, leading the charge with Jody Shelley. They have a team to go to war with if you look at their lineup and also with all the skills they have. I think they skated quite freely out there. And the top team in the East is Boston, leading the charge with Shawn Thornton, Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara. Those teams are not just doing great this year but are built for the physicality of the playoffs. We can talk about the Ducks that won the Cup and led the league in fighting. When you have a heavyweight on your team, that presence makes the other team accountable and could save your star player from getting hurt. So many teams and many examples have happened in the past where teams had been suffering because they didn't have a tough guy and if some of you are still not convinced and still think I don't know what I'm talking about, ask the guys who sweat and play the game. Ask them how big of a difference they see when they play on a team that has a heavyweight compared to a team that does not have one. You'll get your response there and that from quite elite players! For example, we can talk about how last summer, all the tough guys were signed quite quickly and before any other player, other than the obvious nine or 10 megastars. Who is the first player Pittsburgh signed this summer? Eric Goddard, three-year contract, figure it out. As much as you need a fighter, a good one that can play is hard to find and the teams that have them won't let them go, in general! lol! A sniper is easy to get: you wait for the trading deadline when pending unrestricted guys will be available and you take your pick. But at that time, all the tough guys are taken and not available, also probably because a lot of us are not making big money and are easy on the salary cap! lol! For the fighter himself, well there are tons of different types of fighters and that's normal considering the size of some of these guys. Some guys are 6-foot-8 and some guys weigh 275 pounds. I can't complain too much since I'm 6-foot-3, 260 pounds, but for some other guys, it's another story. So when you see a guy hanging on a bit more than others, that's normal also; fighting toe-to-toe is exciting to watch but it's not necessarily the best thing for you and will give you a short career when you fight a guy with a bigger reach. Guys need to get on the inside. Showing up is what's important, not always the result. FIGHTING IS POPULAR A lot of people hate hockey but love the fights, so really a heavyweight also helps to sell the game. Fighting is so popular they made a fighting league in Quebec. lol! Even when you have a heavyweight who doesn't play every game, it makes a difference with your team. Guys will respect the team and won't do anything cheap, otherwise they know that even if the guy isn't playing, he will the next game and you will have to account for your actions. The only bad thing about getting a guy who doesn't play every game in the season is that he won't play in the playoffs and since it's more physical, they will miss that guy's presence. For big guys like Brash or Boogaard, if they get in a fight and don't beat the guy, automatically people assume that they're done. But people are just smarter about how they fight and sometimes a Riley Cote fighting a bigger guy, even if he loses he gives a bigger boost to his team because of his courage, because everyone always expects the bigger guy to win. That's why showing up is the key; that you were there for your team is what matters. There are lots of different types of tough guys. There are the ones who love to initiate and others who just get in there if they have to, and I'm one of those. When you're younger and want to prove yourself you might start more stuff, but when you get older this stuff gets old and you don't want to fight just for fun anymore. But we do if the team needs it or if, of course, the other teams are starting to take liberties. And also the tougher you are, the less you have to fight. Do you think you would ever see one of the toughest fighters in the NHL at the end of a season with 25 fights? No chance; teams respect you even more and leave you alone. So if you're a big fan of fighting and you have one of those guys, well, sorry buddy but your guy is just too tough so you won't see many fights! lol! But hey, that's good for your team. A lot of times it depends on who you are, anyway. The coach could tell his fighters to leave certain guys alone so they don't change the momentum. Sometimes when you play on the road and fight a top guy, the crowd gets into it and that can really lift a team -- momentum in a hockey game is everything. Smart coaches know how to use it! A coach will never tell you to fight someone -- you should know your job and know when to do it. But they will tell you when NOT to fight, and sometimes that's a smart decision. Trust me on that! lol! WHO ARE THE TOUGHEST GUYS? OK, so to finish (because I can really go on and on with this blog -- I will have write a book when I retire about all this) but here's the answer to the question people ask me all the time: Who are the toughest guys in the league? I'll go by conference. The toughest guy in the East is Donald Brashear, hands down. He's the king and has been for years. Pound for pound the toughest guys are Riley Cote and Chris Neil. And in the West, the toughest guy is Derek Boogaard and the toughest pound for pound is hands down Cam Janssen. When I'm mentioning pound-for-pound guys, I've always been impressed with those guys who weigh around 210 pounds and are fighting monsters and doing pretty well, winning their fair share of fights. Any close fight is a win for them since they're giving inches and weight. Talking about pound-for-pound guys, Tie Domi was the ultimate pound-for-pound fighter in my time with great consideration to Darren Langdon. That guy was tough and didn't care about the size of the other guy. That's how I see it and probably just like 90 per cent of all the tough guys, I don't care about all those polls I read where people vote. And it's not just because the rankings change when one of these guy loses a fight. (For example, put Boogaard against the same guy 10 times and see how many he wins!) If you really want to know who the toughest guys are, just ask the players who play the game. Ask the guys who do the job, who actually fight and know their stuff. Not some know-it-all couch potato guy, frustrated about life who just likes criticizing everything and especially tough guys. One of the stupidest things is when you read about those guys commenting on other guys' fights like it was the easiest thing in the world. For some people, a fight should be toe-to-toe, you each take turns punching the other guy in the face, but if you don't and are too defensive, you're a chicken, ha ha ha! There are 750 NHL players in the world, maybe about 40 tough guys. The toughest guys of any league (who can also play the game) and some people find ways to criticize them? Just comedy! For me, I have over 120 NHL fights and when I think about that I am always surprised. This is not my personality. I like to laugh and joke around all the time, and take much more pleasure doing stuff in the community and helping kids than getting in hockey fights. I take more pleasure in scoring a goal then a big fight (which is obvious since fighting for me is much easier than scoring! lol!) But I will always be proud to say that I had a hat trick in the NHL. I have played 651 NHL regular-season games so far, but I take more pride in the 53 playoff games that I have played; for a tough guy to have played that many games in the post-season shows how much more than a one-dimensional player I became. For that I have to thank Ron Low, Kevin Lowe and Craig MacTavish for making me a better player and giving me more ice time than most guys doing this job, because for some of my fellow brothers, ice time is a much bigger fight. But stay strong my brothers, they still need you guys! Thank for reading my blogs. I hope you enjoyed them and they were all written by me with all my honesty. This is your new NHL! Happy New Year to everyone, I wish you all the best. God bless!"

1/6/2009 12:24:54 PM

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1/6/2009 12:40:53 PM