Stagg 1

Rachel Stagg
Ms. Pittman
ENG-101-101
November 14, 2012
Fighting in Hockey: Should it be Kept or Banned?
Introduction
To this day, passion, toughness, and competitiveness are considered fundamental
requirements of the game [of hockey], (Botterill, n.d.). The National Hockey League was
established in 1917, and fighting has been a part of the sport from the very beginning. The sport
of hockey is conducive to fighting and overly aggressive play by its very design, (Delaney, T. &
Madigan, T., 2009). Examples that Delaney and Madigan gave for this statement include the
slippery surface of the ice and accidental contact it can cause, the boards around the rink that
justify slamming an opponent into them, and the fact that players are armed with their sticks that
can be used as clubs. The discussion of keeping fighting in the game is a controversial one, for
many reasons. Supporters of fighting urge that it has always been integral to the game, while
opponents argue it is dangerous and unacceptable (Kale, 2012). Hockey [in the National Hockey
League] is a passionate, fast-paced sport with many emotions running high in every team and
every game; fighting should be kept in the game because it is an essential aspect of the sport, and
the way the players protect themselves and others during tough games.
In this paper, I will discuss the controversial issue of continuing to allow this type of
aggressive behavior in professional hockey. I will look at the culture of hockey: what is
accepted, what is expected, and what is unacceptable. I will also discuss a small history of the
game and the rules involved in fighting in hockey. Another important factor to consider in this
Stagg 2

issue is why. Why do the players fight? Is it to protect others, or to protect themselves? I will
look at the players opinions and points of views and discuss them. Lastly, I will discuss both of
the polemic sides of this issue: those who want to keep fighting in the game, and those who want
to take fighting out of the game of hockey permanently.
The Culture and Rules of Hockey
Professional Ice Hockey is one of the most complex and emotional sport environments; it
is an aggressive sport known for its rugged play and its resilient athletes (Botterill, n.d.; &
Delaney, T., 2009). There are things in professional hockey that are accepted, such as aggression
and fighting, and then there are violent aspects that are completely unacceptable, such as
unnecessary blind hits and attacks. Fighting is so deep-rooted in the sport of hockey that it is not
only accepted, but also expected in certain situations. Rule 46, under Section six, in the National
Hockey League rule book states that a fight has occurred when, when at least one player (or
goalkeeper) punches or attempts to punch an opponent repeatedly or when two players wrestle in
such a manner as to make it difficult for the Linesmen to intervene and separate the combatants
(NHL.com, n.d.). Fights have become less frequent as the years have progressed in the National
Hockey League and the individual talent of players has increased (Canadian Press, 2007).
Delaney and Madigan, in The Sociology of Sports define violence as intentional aggressive
physical behavior that causes harm, occurs outside the rules of the game is unrelated to ideals
of sportsmanship. By this definition, fighting would not be considered violence because it
does not occur outside of the rules of the game. In fact, as I said before, fighting has an entire
section in the National Hockey League rule book. Not only does this section cover the definition
of a fight, but it also covers the roles of a fight: the aggressor, the instigator, and more
(NHL.com, n.d.). Delaney and Madigan, in my opinion, defined violence excellently. Fighting,
Stagg 3

though it may be intentionally aggressive, it is inside the rules of hockey, and not unrelated to
ideals of sportsmanship. I have seen hockey players get into a fight during a game, then shake
hands or pat each other on the back and say good job or good fight. These players fight for a
reason, and when that reason is reached, they stop fighting, say good job, and move on. In
professional Hockey, there are players called enforcers or goons, which are highly paid men
on the team purely to fight. They are highly respected by fans and their teammates, and are there
to protect the star players on their team (Delaney & Madigan, 2009). All of these ideas contribute
to make fighting accepted still today, and that shouldnt change anytime soon. I will discuss later
why players fight and their personal opinions on it.
Though fighting is a type of aggression that is acceptable, there are many types of
aggression and violence that are not acceptable and can get players either suspended or banned
from the National Hockey League. Hockey has a culture that requires players not only to be
competitive enough to survive, but also extraordinarily persistent, tough, and able to defend
ones self (Botterill, n.d.). These requirements often led to an eye-for-an-eye type of play, and
caused a lot of aggression, both acceptable, and unacceptable. An example of violence that is
entirely unacceptable is when Todd Bertuzzi (Vancouver Canucks) ambushed Steve Moore
(Colorado Avalanche) by dragging him down from behind as Moore skated towards the other
end of the rink (Delaney & Madigan, 2009). Moore hit the ice hard and Bertuzzi sucker-punched
him. Bertuzzi was suspended the rest of that season, the following season when a lockout
occurred, and was eventually charged with assault in June, 2005 after a four month investigation
(Delaney & Madigan, 2009). Even considering I am a loyal fan of hockey and fighting, these
incidents are disgusting and unacceptable. I respect most players for their toughness and
willingness to protest their teammates by dropping their gloves; however, the players that
Stagg 4

intentionally harm another, knowing that it could be a dangerous injury, lose my respect and the
respect of many others as well. These are the incidents that give hockey a bad name, and that
make critics of hockey say now is the time to remove all the violence, including fighting from
the sport. This is untrue; fighting was not related to this incident or to incidents of this nature.
They are considered just entirely unacceptable. Fighting in hockey is not solely for the purpose
of violence; players have multiple reasons for fighting that dont just include wanting to beat
another player until he drops to the ice, bruised or unconscious. Hockey is much more complex
than that, and later I will discuss why I think fighting should remain in hockey despite many
negative views on it today.
The Controversial Sides
There are many people today who are closely related to the hockey industry that say its
time to reopen the issue of fighting, and perhaps ban it, however, there is also a large group of
people that dont want to see hockey lose something so ingrained in its origins. The groups of
people that wish for hockey to keep fighting in the game include the players, many coaches and
general managers, and many of the fans. Then, however, there are people that see how harmful
fighting can be, or how barbaric it seems, that want fighting gone so hockey can be a sport solely
about the skill and grace that hockey players exude. Both sides have constructed terrific
arguments and collected countless facts, opinions, and knowledge, but it is still a very
controversial issue, and no change has been decided upon yet.
Amongst those who think fighting is unnecessary and needs to be banned are Rajendra
Kale, MD, Rene Fasel, President of the International Ice Hockey Federation, and many medical
experts (Kale, 2012; Canadian Press, 2007 & Klein, J. Z., 2011). Rajendra Kale describes when
Stagg 5

she was first introduced to professional hockey, I was fascinated by the skill, grace, speed, and
physical fitness needed to play the game. Simultaneously, I was appalled by the practice of
fighting (Kale, 2012). Kale says that fighting is uncivilized and disgraceful and that we should
stop the violence and get on with the main objection of the game, which is scoring goals. Rene
Fasel has a very similar opinion; he states that it is long overdue for the NHL to address fighting.
He says, Both me personally and the IIHF has never believed fighting is or should be a part of
the game neither in the Olympics, nor in the world championships or in the World Cup of
Hockey is there ever any fights (Canadian Press, 2007). Both Kale and Fasel see that there is
danger involved in fighting that doesnt need to be included in the game. And the medical
experts agree for the most part (Klein, J. Z., 2011). Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)
is becoming more prominent today in many retired athletes because in the earlier years of sports,
many people, even educated professionals, didnt know the evidence that today we have about
sports-related injuries (Kale, 2012). We didnt know then, the effects that repeated blows to the
head would have on the athletes and their futures. Kale and Klein both argue that fighting is bad
for the head: it can cause concussions, concussions may possibly lead to CTE, and CTE causes
memory loss and early deaths (Kale, 2012; Klein, J. Z., 2011). However, Kleins article contains
more facts about Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy than it does facts about the relationship
between CTE and professional hockey. More research currently needs to be done about CTE and
how it is caused. Currently, all of these health experts have only given their opinions. Dr.
Michael J. Stuart commented saying, These are opinions, very educated opinions and very
experienced people providing their opinions, meaning that though they are only opinions at this
point, they are still very educated opinions (Klein, J. Z., 2011). These opinions, however, have
not been profusely studied in hockey like they have in football. The author of this article says,
Stagg 6

Researchers generally agree that there is a link between repeated blows to the head and C.T.E.
But they are uncertain which specific hits lead to the disease and whether some people have a
genetic predisposition, which means that there is sufficient evidence that links repeated blows to
the head to CTE, but they arent sure the extent of it and whether or not there is a link between
genetics and CTE (Klein, J. Z., 2011). At this point, I dont think there is enough evidence to
take drastic measures such as removing fighting from the game of hockey.
On the other hand, there are those who wish to keep fighting in the game as it been for
the past 95 years: the players, the coaches and general managers, and most of the fans. Players
wish to keep fighting in the game because it gives them choices, and it allows them to regulate
what happens in a game (Canadian Press, 2007). Jim Rutherford, General Manager of the
Carolina Hurricanes, is a strong supporter of keeping fighting in the game (Canadian Press,
2007). Rutherford argues that if fighting is removed from the game, it can become more
dangerous: Something bad may happen if you cant fight in the game and guys decide theyre
going to retaliate with their sticks, and spear guys one way or another theres going to be
incidents. Now is it going to be with your fists, or is it going to be running guys from behind,
(Canadian Press, 2007). When players cant protect each other by fighting, we will start to see
more stick incidents, more excruciatingly hard slams into the boards, and more violence overall.
That paints a scary picture, because though hockey fights are dangerous, these types of incidents
can be even more dangerous. The players argue that fights today arent as bad as they seem.
Ethan Moreau of the Edmonton Oilers commented saying today, guys are much bigger and they
are trying to hurt the other guy, its their objective. However, they arent vicious about it, and
when a fight is won or lost, it is over and the linesmen step in. If this right to fight was lost,
players would take their anger out in different ways that could be much more harmful. No one
Stagg 7

wants to make the game more dangerous, and fighting being removed could make the game more
hazardous. This is the intriguing part of fighting; it in itself can be dangerous, but without it, the
game could be more dangerous. This is the awful truth about hockey. There are too many
possibilities for violence, including the hockey sticks, that fighting is the only way to control the
game logically without using incredibly hazardous means.
Why Do Players Fight?
Players fight for many reasons: multiple reasons are known, but many reasons have still
yet to be identified. There have been numerous studies done and articles written that express
others views of why players fight; however, included with these are interviews conducted on the
players personally, and on many people closely connected to the teams: coaches, general
managers, and even the president of the International Ice Hockey Federation. One such study
suggested that the reason players fight today is to uphold their manly reputation and their
manhood (Globe & Mail, 2012). Because fighting is highly accepted, fights make the players
appear manlier, and they fight to fulfill expectations that have been placed on them to appear as
the heroes on the ice. This study also suggests that fans agree with these assumptions: fighting
makes the players appear more masculine and the game more enhanced (Globe & Mail, 2012).
The author says, The group that is understandably most important to the league and its
advertisers is a set of hard-core fans, on average Anglophone men aged 30 to 49 who feel quite
at ease with the violence that makes some of hockeys other constituents cringe (Globe & Mail,
2012). This group represents the population that is entirely happy with fighting and even some
other unacceptable behaviors that make up a large quantity of the professional hockey fan base.
These are the fans that agree with this study; they feel that fighting is an important masculine
characteristic of the game of hockey, and if it were taken out, the sport would lose some of its
Stagg 8

tough credibility. This is one reason the players undoubtedly fight: to earn respect, and to
upkeep their macho and manly status.
The most well-known reason players fight is to protect their teammates (Delaney &
Madigan, 2009). These players are the ones known as the goons or the enforcers. Todd
Fedoruk, and enforcer for many teams of his past, was taken off the ice on a stretcher after a
particularly bad fight with another enforcer in 2007. In an interview he told reporters, It still
comes down to whose choice it is to fight. Its our choice they consented to fighting, they
chose that role, the day after he was knocked out (Canadian Press, 2007). Despite being taken
off the ice on a stretcher, which he claims was blown out of proportion, Fedoruk still feels that
taking fighting out of the game is not the option. He furthers this by saying, Taking fighting out
of the game is definitely not a solution. You just cant do it. Its ingrained in the roots of
hockey. Hes right about that; the NHL was established in 1917, and fighting has always been
an important part of the game. Fighting, in todays sport, is an ability for the players to regulate
what happens on the ice, and that shouldnt be taken away from them (Canadian Press [Brian
Burke], 2007). Andrew Peters, of the Buffalo Sabres says, The guys that drop the gloves know
what the risk is I do it for my team, and Im willing to do it. You have to have someone there
to protect your teammates (Canadian Press, 2007). This is a great contention by Peters, and a
large majority of players today, especially the goons and the star players that need protecting
agree with this. I strongly agree with this reason for fighting to stay in the game. The star players
on each team need protecting. There are always opportunities for the star players to be hit,
knocked down, or otherwise injured. The goons are sent on the ice for important plays when
they know their job is to protect when the star players job is to score. If there werent players
Stagg 9

available to protect their teammates, the game could get uglier. Fighting isnt only for pure
entertainment anymore, though many fans still appreciate the performance factor anyway.
A last important reason players fight is to build team support and camaraderie. This is
seen often in todays professional hockey: an enforcer is sent out on the ice to get the team
motivated (particularly if they are losing) and support the players that are working hard shift
after shift during a game. Another area where team support and motivation comes into play is in
games between heated rivalries. A game in the 2011-2012 National Hockey League season
showcased three simultaneous fights after the first puck drop. To many fans, this seemed
outrageous and barbaric. To people who analyzed it though, it appeared to be a ploy to motivate
both teams and to show the other team that they brought everything they had. This is a common
occurrence today. A study done in 2000 also suggests that violence and aggression typically
occur in clusters and varied infrequencies depending on game circumstances (Kirker, B.;
Tenenbaum, G.; Mattson, J.; 2000). This study also suggests that players on different teams who
have had previous encounters (especially aggressive) with each other are more likely to be
involved in severe aggressive acts again. This occurs often when two goons fight each other.
They may fight each other several times over their careers to motivate themselves and the rest of
their teammates. These reasons are all very important to fighting and to the game of hockey.
Conclusions
Hockey is a great game, filled with strong, tough men who work hard every day to
improve their game and protect their teammates so that they can win. Fighting isnt an aspect
that is necessary to winning, but it has been an integral part of the game since the start of the
NHL. I dont think that now is the time to stop fighting in the sport of hockey. Medical experts
Stagg 10

have weighed in with very educated opinions, but there still isnt enough information to take
such a drastic measure by removing all fighting immediately. The only other argument that stood
a chance was by Rene Fasel that there other sports for the fans of violence to watch, such as
boxing, if fighting were to be addressed and eventually removed. That is true, but fans love
hockey so much for its complex environment: the skill, the speed, the beauty of particular plays
and goals, and the fighting that is heroic and protective of the team. Based on research done so
far, I dont think there is any reason for hockey to not include fighting, and the large, angry
section of the hockey fan base would unanimously agree with me on this subject matter.