I've always been a hockey fan, more specifically, a Chicago Blackhawks fan. I've been going to games for as long as I can remember as well as listening to them on the radio and watching them on television. This is not, however, a sports column exploring the reasons why the Blackhawks have lost nine straight games (although I have my theories). Nor is this a commentary on whether the Blackhawks should trade Patrick Kane or Nick Leddy for Big Rick Nash of the Columbus Blue Jackets (Kane - no, Leddy - absolutely). Frankly, if there's any sport that I would cover if I had my dream job as a writer for Sports Illustrated, it would be the NHL beat.
But no, this is simply a rumination on hockey fights in the NHL and how difficult it is to explain the phenomenon.
As I sat at home watching the Montreal Canadiens hosting the Boston Bruins (happy that the obligation to watch the train-wreck Blackhawks was not upon me) on the newly revamped and hockey-centric NHL Sports Network (formerly known as Versus), my wife asked me how it is that fighting is allowed in hockey but not in other sports? We had just finished watching Ryan White of the Canadiens square off against Adam McQuaid of the Bruins. This was one of the better NHL fights that I've seen lately with both players landing solid shots to the face. While McQuaid probably won the decision, White ignored the redness on his face and made his way to the penalty box smiling and showing off his missing-tooth grin.
The fighting inquiry was not a question from a woman who is ignorant of sports issues or topics. Her oldest son is going to college in the fall on a football scholarship, I've dragged her to my own sons' high school baseball and volleyball games and she has spent a considerable amount of her non-working time watching sports, both live and on television. However, until we were married a year and a half ago, she was a hockey novice. As an African-American woman who grew up on the south side of Chicago and has lived there as an adult, she was never exposed to very much hockey. I changed that, but she did come along fairly willingly. Her hesitation to a thorough conversion to a full-fledged hockey fan comes when a fight breaks out and the players aren't kicked out of the game, suspended or permanently banned.
My difficulty has come in trying to explain how it is that hockey fights are permitted by the officials and have become as much a part of the game as penalty shots or power plays. In our conversation, she asked how it is that the referees just stand to the side and let the players fight and then she asked, "How long are they allowed to fight?"
Again, how do you explain that the officials let the players fight until they are in a clinch with no more punches being thrown, or that they fight until one falls down on top of the other, or until they are so tired from throwing punches that they simply skate off to their respective penalty boxes. I didn't try that, but instead said, "The average NHL fight lasts about two minutes.' She looked at me waiting for a more complete explanation. I then said something stupid, "I think they let them fight because they really can't cause that much harm." Her response was far more insightful, "Oh right. We just watched those two guys punch each other in the face for two minutes and that doesn't cause much harm?" Right.
I also tried to answer her questions by pointing out that many teams have a player on their roster who serves as an "enforcer" and will go on the ice to fight an opponent who picked on a smaller player or who did something considered dirty. That also didn't answer the questions, but instead created more, "Ok, but can you imagine football players bare-fist fighting each other for two minutes? And then, they are allowed to stay in the game after a 5-minute punishment?" I immediately pictured Brian Urlacher bare-knuckled boxing Clay Matthews of the Packers and standing over him after a hard right to the jaw. "No, I can't imagine that," I said shaking the vision of an ass-whipped Matthews out of my mind.
Realistically, it's hard to justify the fighting that goes on in the NHL especially to someone who is truly trying to understand it's existence. No other sport allows it nor does any other sport tolerate it. Saying it's always been this way is no excuse. Nevertheless, it is part of the game and it's hard to avoid, especially with websites like hockeyfights.com where you can go and check on the latest fights, the rankings of the NHL's best fighters, and the listing of teams with the most penalty minutes.
AP Photo/Jim Mone
The above photo depicts one of the NHL's toughest fighters, George Parros. Hockeyfights.com describes his most recent fight:
"Valentine's Day 2012 marked something seldom seen in the NHL this year: a true heavyweight clash. Young Minnesot Wild enforcer Matt Kassian squared off against veteran NHL fighter George Parros of the Anaheim Ducks. It started off pretty open, with both players landing solid shots before it digressed into grappling."
Yes sir, a "true heavyweight clash." I guess if someone wants to understand hockey fighting, the hockeyfights.com website might be the best vehicle that depicts fans' fascination and appreciation for this unique part of the game. I could send my wife there for a lesson, but feel a twinge of guilt even saying that I think fighting is an essential part of the game or suggesting that a website that promotes fighting is a viable teaching tool.
Would hockey be the great spectator sport that it is now without fighting? Sure it would. Should the recent concern and sensitivity toward concussions result in an elimination of fighting in hockey? Probably. But what about those who see the brief fight as the settling of differences and a way to resolve conflict? Conventional wisdom says that they are neanderthals...others would say they are fans.
Hope that answers your question.
Filed under: Uncategorized
Tags: Blackhawks, Blue Jackets, Bruins, Candiens, Chicago, Ducks, fighting, Kane, Leddy, Nash, NHL, Parros, Wild
I'm pretty sure it's somehow related to hockey players wanting to further distinguish themselves from figure skaters - just in case you forget how tough they are :)
Never thought of that. Makes sense.
John, if your wife wants to understand why fighting should be eliminated in hockey, then have her read my blog - http://itsnotpartofthegame.blogspot.com/. Her reaction and questioins make me wonder about the kind of fan the NHL attracts because they tolerate enforcers and goons, and how many real sports fans we lose because of fighting.
Thanks for the information. I checked out your blog, especially the post on recent fights and how they have no relation to self-policing or dirty play.
Hockey is the most violent sport on Earth because you don't HAVE to hit. When a bigger guy tackles your small guy on the football field, it's just part of the game. When that happens in hockey it's because he's trying to injure your guy for the long run.
Imagine this scenario -- the Blues are up 5-0 and Kane skates to get the puck, where he is blatantly cross-checked by the other team. This penalty is irrelevant to the other team, whereas if you were to do the same thing, you would lose the ability to get back into the game.
Not only that, but not all the hockey players are on the ice at the same time. It's not like your enforcer can make a run at this guy who ruined Kaner. He's gotta drop mitts with SOMEbody to show that's not alright.
Not only are these guys moving faster than football players, but they are carrying weapons. Believe it or not -- fights make hockey safer by allowing the players some mode of self-regulation.
I'm also an avid hockey fan-- I have fond memories of watching the Hawks as a kid, when Llloyd Petit was their announcer, and loving the fights. It's undeniably part of the game, and part of the allure. I had to wonder, though, about it all after reading a recent series of articles on the life-- and death-- of enforcer Derek Boogaard.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/sports/hockey/derek-boogaard-a-boy-learns-to-brawl.html?pagewanted=all
He was a mediocre player who found a niche as an enforcer. He sustained a bunch of concussions that led to abuse of prescription meds, and ultimately his death.