Tag: NHL

Source: Thuzio, Inc.

Watching an inflight movie, Ice Guardians, recently, it has become clear how opinionated people are regarding fighting during hockey games. Some love it, and others feel it is not professional. But according to the players in this documentary, the enforcer is a necessary evil in the game of hockey.

The enforcer is the guy or gal who will protect the unexpecting teammate from harm on the ice. Often calls are missed or just not called. It is then that a guardian of the ice, enforcer, and level the playing field for the ‘more skilled players’ on the ice. To an enforcer, there will be no cheap shots that go unanswered.

But to some, there still is no need for enforcers. They view these players as unskilled, or lesser in skills, compared to those like Wayne Gretzky or Sidney Crosby or Jonathan Toews. But these same individuals will complain if their respective goalie is hindered or injured like Carey Price. Those against enforcers feel the leagues (e.g., NHL, AHL, ECHL) have the appropriate rules in place to prevent the cheap stuff from happening.

But if you asked Carey Price after being injured in the 2014 playoffs by a non-enforcer forward, Price would love to have an enforcer like Marty McSorley or Dave Senenko. Wayne Gretzky informed the Los Angeles Kings he was not coming unless they took McSorley too. Many of us have complained about Sidney Crosby being a crybaby. Perhaps, this is unfair to him. Kelly Chase, an 11 year veteran of the NHL, states, “I’ve watched the game now, and Sidney Crosby has been injured more times from hits, head injuries, and knees in one year than Gretzky in a career.” Most would agree Crosby doesn’t have a guardian on the ice.

Fighting is also the power of intimidation. Hockey is a game of skill, of emotion, and primal hormones. And fighting has instinctively been an integral part of the game from day one. It is the way players let each other know that ‘I am the baddest guy out here and you don’t want none of me.’ It is the enforcement of the rules when others do not want to play by the rules.

It is one of the rare times that bullying in any form is okay, because in hockey it is the key to survival. For example, teams who made won the Stanley Cup in the 1980s and 1990s had enforcers on their teams. Look at the Broad Streets Bullies with Legion of Doom, Behn Wilson, Dave West and Jody Shelly. Even today, most teams that make it to the Stanley Cup playoffs have an enforcer.

Those who argue that fighting should be disallowed due possible concussions that could lead to CTE may want to consider that (1) the referees should be stepping in before that ever happens by the mere fact of their own argument of protection by league rules, and (2) concussions are more likely the result of the g-forces felt from cross checks, late hits, and boarding. Those are the very things fighting curbs.

Source: hockeyfights.com