Will fighting ever make a comeback to normal levels?

[txpd]

Its a league more and more dominated by hockey players that come from a non fighting background and less and less populated by Canadians.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

The decline in fighting can't be completely attributed to players being cognizant of the risks of repeated head injuries that ultimately inform their decision not to fight. It can be attributed to the league telling refs to break up any altercations whenever possible, and hold a short leash on altercations that you feel will cool the demeanor of the game and prevent something nastier. The players know the risks, but it's the actions being taken by the league right now that are attributing to the decline in fighting.

Everything else aside, it's the league that doesn't want fighting, not the players. The decline isn't "natural", it's being forced by a league terrified of financial repercussions (lawsuits, loss of corporate sponsorships, etc).

I bet a lot of players if you polled them would talk about breaking their hand on a visor before the CTE stuff... I agree that the league stance on it has gotten a lot more pronounced when you watch the game. I think others will talk about a lot of the other hot button stuff. But it just isn't as interesting to these players, fighting happened a lot more across the board in all sports. While it was more accepted in Hockey though met with a penalty in game, I think it is a myriad of things causing the decline.

I think people trying to boil it down to just one cause are kind of missing the boat. The league breaks it up quicker, there is more known about repeated head trauma (careful anti-fighting crowd this comes from body checks more often these days), there is huge influx of talent and skill that got rid of a lot of the knuckle dragging guys or just the importance of skating in the modern game displacing some of the more plodding tough guys of yesteryear.

I don't think it is coming back, I think it will still happen from time to time and believe it has a place in the game. But we are not going back to what it was, I just don't ever see that happening.

 

[CartographerNo611]

Look at WHL fight numbers, once considered the toughest Canadien junior league, current league leaders in fights is 1. Thats the future of the NHL.

 

[Sheppy]

It makes me sad, I was at a few Giants games when i was like 14 (15 years ago) and i remember the stands being filled with energy. I went last year and you could hear a rat piss on cotton.

 

[Lupuls Grit]

Not sure if anyone talks about this, but hockey has become a more middle to upper middle class endeavour in Canada. That doesn't mean those kids won't fight though I suspect those kids are generally not as rough and tumble as the farm boy players of past generations. Fighting is often frowned upon by those parents and they certainly don't want their kids doing it. Even though my son plays in a small town and some of those kids would be inclined to fight, the significant majority simply don't have that level of aggression or desire to engage in bare knuckle brawling. In other words, I think fighting is going to continue to go down in frequency due to attitudinal changes of those who play.

 

[Sheppy]

Not sure if anyone talks about this, but hockey has become a more middle to upper middle class endeavour in Canada. That doesn't mean those kids won't fight though I suspect those kids are generally not as rough and tumble as the farm boy players of past generations. Fighting is often frowned upon by those parents and they certainly don't want their kids doing it. Even though my son plays in a small town and some of those kids would be inclined to fight, the significant majority simply don't have that level of aggression or desire to engage in bare knuckle brawling. In other words, I think fighting is going to continue to go down in frequency due to attitudinal changes of those who play.

This is a lot of it, i think.

I remember at school when i was 9-10 getting into the odd scrap, the teachers would separate us and then we'd be on our way. I'm only 29, but yeah, that stuff used to happen so frequently where I grew up.

Now if there's a chance of even a little tussle breaking out there's a full blown meeting between the kids parent, the kids, and then counselling. It's ridiculous these days.

 

[idontusethisanymore]

It makes me sad, I was at a few Giants games when i was like 14 (15 years ago) and i remember the stands being filled with energy. I went last year and you could hear a rat piss on cotton.

Everyone's on their phones nowadays. Half the people at sports games don't pay attention to the actual game, which is really sad.

 

[Sheppy]

Everyone's on their phones nowadays. Half the people at sports games don't pay attention to the actual game, which is really sad.

Yep, agreed. I leave mine at home, and especially at concerts.

 

[ManwithNoIdentity]

Simply put..

no

Hell part of HF gets up in arms when two players make contact at all

 

[txpd]

What are normal levels?

 

[Newfoundland]

Proabley not, considering how people were freaking out about Bortuzzo last night. No suspension needed for that you p***yes, 2 mins max.

 

[idontusethisanymore]

Proabley not, considering how people were freaking out about Bortuzzo last night. No suspension needed for that you *****es, 2 mins max.

He just got suspended 4 games. Also, all of the sports writers were complaining as well, not just the fans.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Fighting is just completely ineffective anyway now. With helmets and visors the main risk is a hand injury. The only thing that could make a comeback as any kind of violent deterrent is other forms of dirty retribution plays. Sticks, charging, hits from behind, things that intentionally target a player in other ways. So far that hasn't really happened much. But if anything, that's the way to go now. Until the NHL steps up its game in terms of penalties and suspensions.

 

[txpd]

Fighting is just completely ineffective anyway now. With helmets and visors the main risk is a hand injury. The only thing that could make a comeback as any kind of violent deterrent is other forms of dirty retribution plays. Sticks, charging, hits from behind, things that intentionally target a player in other ways. So far that hasn't really happened much. But if anything, that's the way to go now. Until the NHL steps up its game in terms of penalties and suspensions.

Hang on. Players get concussed with some regularity. Ovechkin knocked out that kid in Carolina and both still had their lids on and neither is a fighter. Tom Wilson isn't the best fighter in the league but put two opponents in the hospital last season.

Dirty retribution. Nope. Too many cameras.

 

[Howie Hodge]

Simply put..

no

Hell part of HF gets up in arms when two players make contact at all

And they make asinine threads:

"___________ dirty cheap shot on my player."
(Insert name)

 

[Sheppy]

I wouldn't be surprised if we see a few teams with 0 fighting majors at the end of the year, and that makes me sad.

 

[txpd]

I wouldn't be surprised if we see a few teams with 0 fighting majors at the end of the year, and that makes me sad.

Toronto has 0 fighting majors. They are so far the only team without one. So even if you meant by the end of the calender year rather than the end of the season, what you say would make you sad wont happen.

 

[Sheppy]

Toronto has 0 fighting majors. They are so far the only team without one. So even if you meant by the end of the calender year rather than the end of the season, what you say would make you sad wont happen.

Well, Toronto used like all of their fighting majors in one game last year. So yeah, them not getting a fighting major, may indeed happen.

 

[txpd]

Well, Toronto used like all of their fighting majors in one game last year. So yeah, them not getting a fighting major, may indeed happen.

I believe strongly that the fights that need to be there are still there. It kind of shows how much of the fighting there was in the past was gratuitous fighting for the sake of fighting.

I enjoy a good tilt but there has to be a reason for it. This here is great hockey.

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

"Normal" levels ?



What about previous levels...

 

[cliffclaven]

What’s the total number of “fights” so far this year?