McGrattan: Fighting will be gone in 2-3 years

[Volica]

Fighting was always against the rules.

Those soft players that are entertaining to watch unlike McGratton who was about as useless as it comes.

If those hits are legal they aren't penalized. Simple.

Big Ern, 2012, only reason to watch the Flames. We were winning 1 thing a night for sure; and it was him pounding the other goon

That being said, fighting won't die, because it's the only sport that doesn't eject players for it out of the big 5. There will just not be any players who can only be willing pugilists out there; guys like Lučić, Simmonds or Hartnell aren't going to disappear, they're the new tough guy in the league.

 

[Moon Man]

Nikolaj Ehlers fought last year. Fighting will not be gone in 2-3 years.

 

[Knave]

The old school game will always be better and funner to watch, but with lawsuits and the way society is going it just never will be back to that ever.

This has nothing to do with lawsuits or society though. Coaches have figured out the best way to run their teams and it's to have people who can skate hard and build momentum/energy.

There's no putting the toothpaste back in the tube - there could be no concussions in hockey and it would still be headed in the same direction. Remove the instigator - you're not going to see fighting levels change much.

Coaches have figured out the it's not worth it to have 1 guy play 5-7 minutes and sit in the box for 10+.

Not when you can replace him with an adequately responsible guy who can skate and play 10-12 minutes to take away some of the burden from your top players.

Honestly - take a good hard look at soccer. Hockey is starting to become a lot more like that. It will never be exactly like that because a smaller surface, skates and shifts mean faster pace and more energy... but the aversion to risk that was in soccer for decades has come to hockey. The best way to win is to avoid risk and take advantage when the opposing team makes a glaring mistake.

 

[Primary Assist]

There hasn't been an entertaining fight in the NHL in the past 20 years.

Do you have any good moon landing conspiracies while you're at it?

 

[Mrb1p]

Fighting will be gone in 2-3 years, 2-3 years ago they said that 2-3 years ago.

 

[IslandBeast]

He's right, every big hit is broken down and analyzed, players are nervous to lay a big hit because of a reputation they will obtain from the media and from fans on social media. Social media is ruining everything

 

[Get North]

He's right. Game is less entertaining, cool, creative plays get boring. Some big fights or big hits are needed you can't just have the same nice dekes all the time get boring and bland. Kids get big money right out of there ELC, don't have to earn anything because the entitlement is at the highest level.

Feels like the players are playing with less passion as well, players don't do anything anymore when they run their goalie or cross-check their best player. I get players want to be disciplined, but what's more important, 2 points or standing up for your teammates and standing up and showing the league what your team is about.

Fights show passion, now I don't see the same passion. I just see people going for work more often now. Less passion from the fans, commentators, and players.

Nice, creative plays are nice, but if that all there is to the NHL now, it will get boring really quick. People want to see some violence, some nice plays, some entertaining characters, etc.

Someone tell me if I'm missing something.

 

[billybudd]

It might not be 2-3 years, but yes, fighting will be gone within our life times.

Oh yeah. It's on its way out right now. It may be a few years before there's an outright ban, but its dwindling and you can see teams already planning for this day.

And some of the rules are helping with its attrition. One example is the combination of mandatory visors + the extra minor for taking your helmet off. Since there's practically nobody old enough to not need to wear a visor and since you can't take it off, what's the point? What is punching another guy in a plastic face shield supposed to teach him?

There's also the matter of the AHL dipping its toe into game misconducts and suspensions under certain circumstances (which would have been unthinkable even five years ago).

I love fighting, but it's time to accept that it's going to be gone very, very soon.

 

[Beansy*]

I don't really care anymore. Most fights are pretty boring affairs anyway. The staged fighting between designated tough guys is dull.

I used to be all for keeping it in the game, but if it is banned, I could really care less now.

 

[izzy]

Not that soon, but soon.

 

[teravaineSAROS]

Honestly a beautiful, legal hit is a lot more exciting, valuable and sparks my energy up more than a fight does

 

[Sam Spade]

Fighting is already gone.

Hitting will be gone in 2-3 years. They must protect the soft little babies that are next generation of the NHL.

 

[Bizz]

That's what they said 10 years ago.

 

[Beukeboom]

He has good points. Back in the day you saw a Boston - Flyers game and you could expect fast high intensity hockey with hits and fights. Nowdays you can take a nap during the same game. Fair enough the players are fast but it is all mechanical and without emotions. Tiny fast guys circling the corners..

 

[strictlyrandy]

There hasn't been an entertaining fight in the NHL in the past 20 years.

Roy vs Osgood disagrees with you.

 

[Fire Sweeney]

Fighting will never go away. Fighters like him are going away.

Hugging and slapping isn't real fighting.

 

[Epsilon]

Good riddance, and especially to worthless plugs like McGrattan who have no real skill that actually leads to winning games.

Also funny of him to complain about the lack of hits, when a big problem is a player throwing a big, clean hit that changes the momentum on the ice and immediately getting jumped.

 

[Fogelhund]

..and yet some of the most entertaining hockey I've seen in years was Team North America , with exactly how many fights? How many people watched those games, and said, damn, if there was only a few fights, it would have been worth watching?

 

[Price is Wright]

I always found it funny that fighters complain about the instigator rule. If "enforcing" mattered so much to you then you wouldn't care. The day teams have to play four on four after a fight is the day fighting finally dies for the supposed enforcers.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

NHL still heading in the wrong, soft direction.

 

[sandysan]

Roy vs Osgood disagrees with you.

Simmonds vs mcilrath wasnt bad based on the context ( simmonds punching up and answering the bell). A little grabby at points but a pretty even tilt but there was an aspect of the ambulance with the siren circling the arena.

I might have liked it because in today's nhl ( and according to some fans) 180 pound simmonds could have simply said " no sir, i prefer not to fight, but thank you for the offer" then skate away but he didn't. They brought up a tough guy and simmonds did what honorable players do, drop the gloves and if you take your lumps, you take your lumps. But wayne can give it as good as he takes it, if not more and the league would be better off with a gross of wayne simmonds than another brooks orpik.

I seriously doubt that fighting is going anywhere, the frequency might go down, it might go up. but in a game with very big men moving at speed in a confined space with knives on their feet and clubs in their hand, the notion that getting rid of fighting gets rid of the beefs is silly. Beefs will be born. Guys will take offense. If want guys settling by number running or at the end of a stick because you don't have the constitution to watch two guy CONSENTUALLY throw under very well defined rules then I don't want anything to do with that league.

Two guys want to look each other in the eyes, have clear signs of consent and go ? I've never understood what its to the fans. They aint fighting for you.

If guys will fight teamates during practice, the notion that fights completely go away is not fantastically likely. And when the goons are all gone, the skilled guys guys who do fight with passion will be the next target of the anti fighting cabal.

rinse lather repeat.

 

[JETZZZ]

I think that fighting could still work if each team was given a designated roster spot for a fighter. Not just a semi-skilled goon who punches for 30 seconds and then gets tired but a legit UFC fighter with basic skating skills. Each team has one that can sit next to the backup goalie and when things are getting rough out there, you can send in your designated fighter, who doesn't have a stick, wears those UFC gloves, and no helmet. This player is not permitted to be involved in the play, only to skate to center ice and wait for the other teams fighter to meet him. Once they are both there, they can fight uninterrupted by the referees, who will be busy officiating the game (A UFC ref will come out to watch the fighters). Like the UFC, the fight will allow a more broader range martial arts and the fight will only be declared over when someone is KO ed or taps out. At which point the winning fighters team will be awarded an extra goal. That way, there is a tangible point to the fight and fans can enjoy a much tougher yet more skilled fight as well.

 

[sandysan]

Good luck getting that kind of tempo and excitement during 1230 NHL regular season games..

oh anf your would have to get rid of the cap ( have you SEEN team canad's cap hit?) and allow 6 super teams and 24 bottom feeder teams that have absolutely zero chance of ever winning anything. hooray !

You know what ? Once when I was a kid one day in the summer I had donuts and ice cream for every meal. It was glorious !! but im pretty sure that because it was a fantastic day, that thinking that every day I should east nothing but ice cream and donuts is the decision of a fool.

 

[RoyalCitySlicker]

..and yet some of the most entertaining hockey I've seen in years was Team North America , with exactly how many fights? How many people watched those games, and said, damn, if there was only a few fights, it would have been worth watching?

Lots of these hot takes right after the Olympics too.

Again, not possible to have that level of play sustained over an entire NHL season.

Not to mention, these rosters are essentially all-star rosters. The reason the games are exciting is because the bottom 6 plugs on every team who do little other than kill time while trying not to be scored on, were missing.

I'm not sure that having more fights is the answer to more entertaining hockey on a night-to-night basis in the NHL, but I am sure something needs to be done to have a typical NHL game look more like a typical North America game in this tournament.

As someone mentioned above...the risk and skill is being coached out of the game. Too many defensive battles relying on someone making a mistake or a deflection on a predictable point shot.

 

[LeafsLegendAkiBerg]

I would be shocked if fighting is still in the game in 10 years. I imagine the rules will slowly get stricter and stricter, will players still fight? Maybe... but they'll probably get automatic and lengthy suspensions.

The more serious concussions we see, the faster it'll happen.