Post-Game Talk: Varly & Grubi visit the champions

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Didn't Wilson try to fight Zadorov after the latter's hit on Connolly and Zadorov said no? Also it's no surprise that there's bad blood between Wilson and Zadorov, at least on Zadorov's side. "Ohhhh! Wilson! Crush, kill, destroy on Zadorov."

 

[RandyHolt]

I would like to think concussions/60/goon TOI or some other advanced stats could shed light on the deterrence debate.

Despite the leagues secrecy regarding injuries, one could fairly easily identify the incidents where we all see a guy very likely concussed. And then look at his teammates that game. Either there is a pattern there, or there isn't. The numbers shouldn't lie, should they?

I'd theorize a team that wins the most fights would be likely to have the least amount of concussions incurred.

One variable is a truly feared player that rarely has to fight as he goes about his policing duties. So that mandates looking at an enforcer rating and not just fights. Take Semenko, who had very low PIM numbers despite being affectionately called, Cement Head. That Edmonton team may be one of the clearer cut examples of successful enforcing, although its tough to differentiate who didn't hit Wayne because he was Wayne and incur the wrath of canada and the NHL. Neil Sheehy wouldn't play along and it drove the Oilers thugs nuts as he refused to fight them because he touched Wayne. But Sheehy never came close to concussing Wayne of course, so the deterrence likely worked on him to some degree.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

It’s a small sample size. You’d really need to go through years of league data and draw a conclusion from that rather than basing your claim on a few hits taken while he was out.

It’s not my claim, I simply asked you to address someone else’s....

 

[Bieronymus Trotz]

It’s not my claim, I simply asked you to address someone else’s....

Generic you - Wikipedia

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I'm very pro-fighting and I think the idea that it's a deterrent to cheap shots has always been absurd. It was especially so when most teams had an enforcer-type, who most of the time would be the one who actually had to do the fighting after an incident. Wilson's obliteration of Cole is the only thing that's ever made me believe a tiny bit, but you have to remember that most of the time these fights are anticlimactic. Above all, a player doesn't have to accept a fight.

Ask Gretzky if his enforcers were a deterrent....

 

[BiPolar Caps]

I'm very pro-fighting and I think the idea that it's a deterrent to cheap shots has always been absurd. It was especially so when most teams had an enforcer-type, who most of the time would be the one who actually had to do the fighting after an incident. Wilson's obliteration of Cole is the only thing that's ever made me believe a tiny bit, but you have to remember that most of the time these fights are anticlimactic. Above all, a player doesn't have to accept a fight.

When Doug Gilmour was playing for the Leafs, there was a game with the Canucks where the Canucks were taking physical liberties with Gilmour the Leafs best player. Leafs tough guy Wendel Clark served noticed to the Canucks bench that if their behavior continued he would similarly respond towards the Canucks top players. Needless to say Gilmour was not accosted for the rest of the game. Wendel Clark and Tom Wilson are insurance for your best players.

 

[Bieronymus Trotz]

When Doug Gilmour was playing for the Leafs, there was a game with the Canucks where the Canucks were taking physical liberties with Gilmour the Leafs best player. Leafs tough guy Wendel Clark served noticed to the Canucks bench that if their behavior continued he would similarly respond towards the Canucks top players. Needless to say Gilmour was not accosted for the rest of the game. Wendel Clark and Tom Wilson are insurance for your best players.

Yeah, that anecdote is always cited. I've never heard of any other such cases, but that certainly would be a deterrent, unlike fighting.