Do you think fighting should be banned in theNHL?

Answer 1

Yes. It's inappropriate to teach kids that to play hockey you have to fight.

Answer 2

People who respond by saying lets take the ball out of basketball, or the bats out of baseball, really have no perspective of what role fighting plays in hockey. No ball in basketball means that there are ten tall guys standing around wondering what to do, kinda like the Celtics, same scenario in baseball. Take the fighting out of hockey then you can still play the game. You don't need to be able to know how to fight in order to shoot, skate, pass and score. . Plus it's the only team sport that allows fighting, the NFL, MLB, NBA all have serious penalties for fighting yet those sports are much more popular than hockey. Hockey does not need fighting, the World Junior Championships and the Olympics do not have fighting yet are considered the best hockey available when those tournaments come around. Sure the best skill players are on those teams but that just goes to show that talentless goons are the ones that are dragging down the sport to the level that the NHL is today. The game is dead someone please finish it off.

Answer 3

I agree with Sir Smoke-A-Lot, Sub Rosa, and HABITANT... I will get to that in a moment.....

to Melinda- I do not feel that fighting is ever appropriate, but it has its purpose. they choose to use their fists rather than words. Parents everywhere take their children to hockey games fully aware that there may be a fight. What they don't think their children will see is a hockey player scrumming against the boards to get a puck slammed face first into those same boards and knocked unconcious. they don't think that they will see a player swinging a hockey stick like a battle axe into another players face. the message that you are missing that our kids are learning is that while fighting is unacceptable, that starting a fight and running is ok. that swinging that stick won't get you in trouble if the ref pretends not to look. it shows that if you play dirty and deliberately try to hurt your opponent that its ok as long as his team mate even thinks about defending him!

back to the main issue. No it should not be banned. The Lady Bing Trophy was created for the most sports-man like player in the league. it was also created during a time where goonish violence was rampant in the league. the most violence that we see today comes from uncalled penalties resulting in bodily harm and that high sticking incident. Rule 56a was designed to protect the league and its players. it fails on all counts. It leaves the door open to cheap shots and dirty tactis. it leaves us with the fear that someone may lose an eye or may be even brain function due to a boarding induced concussion.

Fighting has been a part of this league for nearly 137 years. it will always be a part of it. Brett Hull even explained it. Lets look at it like this other than a cheap shot and a ban, when was the last time any one in the league lost his career due to a fair fight. isn't it infinetly better to see someone get a split lip a bloody nose or a black eye rather than see him suffer a career ending injury? fighting has its place, its part of the draw, but it also serves as a deterrent from under handed tactics and thinking that just because you think that you can get away with it that gives you liberty to try and hurt some one.

just ask Rob DiMaio his career is over because of a check from behind. I was at that game, While the rookie didn't mean to do it, it happened. and there was no justice for DiMaio. I bet his fans and even his wife were not expecting to see that level of violence. so fighting should stay and the sneaky dirty playing tactics and the instigators should be BANNED!

Answer 4

No. Accountability would be taken out of the players' hands if fighting was banned. Incidents of retaliation would probably escalate, and star players would be subject to more abuse without recourse. Fighters maintain an element of balance in the game, and the argument regarding how they impact impressionable youths is overly reactionary. I have never heard of or seen a kid emulating Sean Avery, Tie Domi, Tiger Williams, etc. As long as "violence" does not perpetuate outside the arena, and if there are two consenting combatants... what is the problem? The league and the players association will not consider removing fighting unless there are a rash of serious or fatal injuries (for example, the installation of netting in arenas to protect fans in attendance was precipitated by the death of a young girl, and the encouragement of throat protection for goaltenders came about shortly after Trent McCleary was injured). Until visors are forcibly instituted, and removing the helmet is disallowed through stoppage of play, fighting will remain in the NHL.

Answer 5

There is no way they should ban fighting in hockey. Fighting in hockey is important, since the refs will not call all the penalties that happen. Because of this, there are cheap shots and late hits that occur. Since the league will not hand out just punishments for this, the players need to do something about it themselves, which is where fighting comes into play. The NHL needs to do something about cheap shots, not fighting.

Answer 6

As a true tough guy talking. The lack of fighting is what is slowly taking this sport down. If 2 resident bad guys want to square off at center ice then they should do it. The more enforcers in the league, the less cheap shots there will be on the ice. As a player myself the fighting and hard-hitting is the heart and soul of the sport......remove that and the sport will die.

Answer 7

NO. why are people asking this question so much. i keep explaining why fighting is a big part of the game and they still keep asking. Hockey is over 100 years old and fighting has been apart of it ever since. fighting in hockey is just not about two guys hatting each other, its much more then that. if your top super star on your team keeps getting run down you send your enforcer to send the message to the other team. if your team is down in the 3rd period and you can send your enforcer out not just to fight but get under the other teams skin and also body check them hard in to the boards and get your teammates back in to the game and if your playing at home get the fans jumping. its a very big part of the game, and it will never be gone. as a matter of fact fighting will be back and stronger in the NHL in the next 5 years do to the smaller super stars joining the NHL but it wont be like it was in the 70's and 80's but allot more then we have seen in a long time.



GO HABS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Answer 8

Here's we Go again, the Answer is NO, why don't you ban Fighting in our Schools and Public Places don't put Society problems on Hockey Players.

You the Parent(s) Needs to do your job on controlling your Children and you're not, We're just doing our Job, Leave us alone.

Answer 9

Do I PERSONALLY think it should? Yes, I don't see why the sport NEEDs it and I think it would be a better sport without it.

IF I were NHL Commissioner would I ban it? No, because the reality of the situation is that people WANT to see this and we are in a business of making money.

I really wish there would be MEANINGFUL suspensions for stick-swinging and sucker-punching though.

See recent same question with something like 1000 answers (I think it's in voting) and Bob Loblaw vs. clueless_nerd debates of about 2 weeks ago.

As Bob said, "yawn"...........

Answer 10

No I dont think fighting should be banned. Hockey has always been known for its hard hitting and fights. If they take away fighting....whats next? Are they gonna take away putting someone into the boards? If they did...one day it would be hockey...the next day...a glorified ballet

Answer 11

OMG if one more person asks this question I think I will go nuts. No, NO, and NNNNNOOOOOOOO! It is a part of the game, it is not something that's injuring players left and right (unlike cheap shots and late hits) and it serves the purpose of cutting down on the things that do hurt players, because the guys who take the cheap shots know that there will be immediate physical consequences for their actions!