This story says many non-professional leads are considering it.
“The official stance from Hockey Canada is that we want to get rid of fighting as quickly as we can,” said Bob Nicholson, Hockey Canada's chief executive.
This story says many non-professional leads are considering it.
“The official stance from Hockey Canada is that we want to get rid of fighting as quickly as we can,” said Bob Nicholson, Hockey Canada's chief executive.
Comments
Don't anybody breathe a word of this to mightbite. It might kill him.
I once told David Franke that there are only three times that fans stand up at hockey games. One is during the National Anthem, two is when the home team scores, and the third is during a fight!
If you are serious about eliminating fighting, then maybe you should eliminate marriages.
Tell USA Hockey and Hockey Canada to worry about how to create more scoring by doing things like trimming down some of the size of the goaltender equipment etc.
Alan,
That line was priceless...I'm sure that Mightbite will be fine....I could let MB borrow one of my fighting videos (on VHS) from the late 1980s, early 1990s. There are some really awesome brawls on most of them.
I wanted to let you know there is a 4th time when a hockey spectator gets up from their seat....when that person decides to leave their seat during the game to get beer, nachos, potty break, etc., etc.....
Notice that I did not use the word "fan" for that last remark.....:)
Bob is right on, one of my most frequent comments at sporting events other than hockey is, these people would never survive a hockey crowd
The Burgee system, we are mathamatically eliminated from finishing ahead of Evansville in the regular season, based on their current lead and both teams remaining schedules. For Evil to choke they would have to have a Robin Bouchard like temper tantrum for the remainder of the season. They are ahead by seven points and will. Easily get thirteen of the remaining 26 points to be had which gives them a 20 point lead before we try to secure the remaining 26 points which just ain't gonna happen, we are too banged up right now, so let's concentrate on making the playoffs and getting healthy.
I could explain it better but I would need charts, graphs, an easel and a dozen krispy kreme
The krispy kreme are to keep Sheepwigs mouth full so he doesn't ask stupid questions
As long as the paying customer keeps cheering for it, Fighting should never even be considered to be banned. Especially at the minor league level, far from the sports journalists who claim to love the sport, all the while would never pay to sit in a seat for a game. Or the guys who really only love certain elements of the Game, but would rather it be Olympic's style.
The sport of hockey has already been screwed around with enough. Staged fights shouldn't be a target either. Its bad enough most hockey games today are played with little emotion, little body checking, and little bad blood. You know....the thing that made the sport so popular during the 70s, 80s, and 90s. If you want to institute that out of the game, you might as well institute the vast majority of hardcore hockey fans. If you don't love the fighting or the rough stuff, go watch baseball or basketball. Or hell, don't watch anything at all.
If the insurance companies say they won't cover it, it won't matter what the paying customers want, it will be eliminated. Why do you think all players are wearing visors now? If it gets too expensive, things will change. I don't think this will happen any time soon, but it probably will eventually.
I'm going to be real interested to see what happens with the Dave Duerson family lawsuit against the NFL on concussions. If they win, all bets are off.
This is inevitable. Maybe not at the pro level but certainly where ever young people are in danger. That is, a rule change to ban fighting would take one more preventable cause of injury out of the game.
Remember Bob Nicholson represents more of the amateur side of hockey in Canada. The World Junior team and Olympic teams come under Hockey Canada. Of course the past few Olympics have seen co-operation between the NHL and the governing bodies in all hockey playing countries. And the rules of the IIHf (International Ice Hockey Federation) ban fighting.
Having said all that, I still like a good tilt every now and then. I used to have to throw them myself every once in awhile. So I am not totally in favour of this. However, as Blake points out, insurance costs and the safety of the player foremost will win this battle.
I do think it is long way off for the pros at point in time.
Any agency that use concussions as a means to take something out of a game is pure crap. In a sport where there is hitting in general there is a rick factor. They might as well take out checking, tackling, blocking, etc because all those can cause a concussion. It is the risk of playing sports like hockey and football. I am not belittling concussions or what can cause them, but in contact sports concussions are a risk.
I would just make sure that fighting is included in the Obama Health Care Plan. Then everything would be all right again.
Solving problems is so, so easy. I should've been a politician.