Bettman told teams to "deflect the question" if asked about fighting

[JLP]

http://deadspin.com/unsealed-docs-gary-bettman-told-nhl-gms-how-to-discour-1793759212

Bettman puts fighting's demographic appeal ahead of debates over players' health.

Click to read more...

 

[Edmonton East]

deadspin is a slanted rag, so I'll look for a more neutral source on the matter.

 

[KingBran]

Deadspin?

That website is like a bunch of 12 year olds who realized they could finally cuss on the internet.

 

[Wisp]

deadspin is a slanted rag, so I'll look for a more neutral source on the matter.

is it actually slanted or do you just not like what they are saying? they are reporting on a TSN article on genuine unsealed documents.

fighting is a difficult issue for hockey fans to talk about. as a mainstay in the sport for so long the instinct is to shoot the messenger rather than confront the human toll.

 

[JLP]

Yes I think the quotes and documents are legit -- where they were re-published is a non-issue

 

[Siludin]

I'll play devil's advocate here a bit. The idea that the NHL fundamentally controls fighting in the league is not true. They have the control to discipline players as per the CBA, but if the fighting isn't criminalized, then it's just two people going at it and that's consensual and not illegal. What mechanism do they have to control fighting? Harsher monetary penalties, suspensions, and the precedent for such. But that's it. This is why referees/linesmen only break up the fight when it's tilted or when it's gone on for a while; it's safer for them to intervene if the fight is essentially over, and the referees aren't trained officers. I believe the penalties for fighting are also part of the negotiation with the players' union, so until the players want the fighting out of the game it probably won't happen. The compensation for having fighting in the game? MONEY. YOU MAKE MILLIONS. Take fighting out of the game, you take money out of the game, and you take money away from players (both in terms of hockey-related revenue and in future negotiations).

 

[Steve]

I'll be honest, I can't stand Gary Bettman but if I'm not mistaken the NHLPA has voted against NHL when they have tried to limit fighting.

I think as the goons leave, you will now just have more fights between regular people. That may sound stupid but less people throwing punches that have been trained for that purpose.

 

[Wisp]

I think as the goons leave, you will now just have more fights between regular people. That may sound stupid but less people throwing punches that have been trained for that purpose.

it is deeply entrenched culture in the league. coaches encourage it. players buy into it. so, yeah, someone will be doing it. they think it does something... I don't ... it's

i do think it's better for everyone's brains to show if you don't have a class of players that bares the brunt of it.

 

[adsfan]

it is deeply entrenched culture in the league. coaches encourage it. players buy into it. so, yeah, someone will be doing it. they think it does something... I don't ... it's

i do think it's better for everyone's brains to show if you don't have a class of players that bares the brunt of it.

Ted Dent in the AHL. Find the You Tube of the April 1 brawl versus Milwaukee from a 3 or 4 years ago. It happened during a media break in the second period. Rob Flick attacked the Admirals goalie. The entire Admirals bench came out onto the ice. Cody Bass and Jeremy Smith (the goalie) were both whaling on Flick in the SE corner. When the fighting was over, Dent stands on the boards and yells at a few Admirals players who were going to their dressing room. It nearly ignited the brawl again. Dent got the boot.

Most games between Rockford and Milwaukee have a fight for no particular reason, i.e. no heavy checks, no one getting their knee taken out, no boarding ...