In Hockey, why do they allow the 2 opposing players to fight each other?

Answer 1

Technically, it's not allowed - there's a 5 minute penalty for fighting. Plus and additional penalty for instigating the fight is sometimes given.

I believe the general feeling is that it's part of the game and that it's better to have guys fight it out because if you remove the fighting then you'll end up with more cheap "stick work" & dirty play, slashing, but ending, elbowing etc..

Answer 2

MOST of the answers are good so far; but u r question says"why do they allow them 2 fight" Sometimes they DON`T,If 1 goes down hard or he covers up; the ref. might step in. Also if it`s a miss-match. Like it was posted earlier "IT`S PART OF HOCKEY"
ALSO:: u cann`t initiate a fight if u wear a face shield. AND finnaly; sometimes the players r 2 far away from the ref`s & ones
already lost 2 teeth---LOL

Answer 3

because hockey is the most intense sport in the world-constant adrenaline and action-sometimes it is the only way to get an advantage on the other team-fighting is not "allowed" anyway-players are penalized for fighting-i guess thats because they are breaking a rule

Answer 4

Where did you get the idea "fighting is allowed"? It is a penalty like slashing, hooking, etc. The reason linesmen don't immediately jump in to break up fights is because they can get hurt doing that.

Anyway, beats not having fighting as a safety valve in the game. I wish they'd just get rid of the instigator rule and you'd have players behaving themselves and not doing the the crap hits to the head and ramming guys from behind (insert joke there...pun intended) or any of the stickwork that comes out from time to time.

Answer 5

Gary Bettman would like to have it out of the game but advocates like Don Cherry and most of us "Joe Average" fans want it in the game.
The NHL is having a hard enough time to sell the game south of the border and if fighting was gone it would be even less of a sell.
Perhaps they should have car race around the ice between 1st and 2nd period and have wrestlers body slam each other between 2nd and 3rd.

Answer 6

WRONG WRONG WRONG. No padding on the face where they hit each other bud. They fight to spark the team up or to avenge a big hit on a star player or to stick up for themselves. Sometimes guys battle all game, and the only thing they can do is drop the gloves and fight the other guy drives them so crazy.

Answer 7

it is a lot safer to let them "slug it out" than to have the grudge build and one of them possibly slice the other with the stick. In footbal, they get to tackle each other, in basketball, they elbow and push, and in hockey they fight. It's just the way of things.

Besides, would you like to try to stop two grown men, on ice, from fighting. They just give them a few minutes and then jump in and penalize both teams.

B-Cool

Answer 8

Why do they allow them to fight? Would you want to step between 2 220lbs men throwing punches at each other? They allow it, because it is part of the game. They allow it because usually both players are willing combantants (they jump in quickly when it isn't). They allow it, because the rules are written to allow it. They allow it, because sometimes it is the only exciting thing in the game to talk about later.

Answer 9

Its a gentleman's fight its not like there kicking each other in the head....its a way to get the fans back in to the game and a way to get your team a little fired up...Fighting has been apart of hockey forever you cant get rid of it

Answer 10

It's the least they can do considering they don't encourage 2 guys on the same team to throw-down.