Fighting in The NHL
In professional sports there seems to be some sort of controversy everywhere you look. As of late, fighting in the National Hockey League (NHL) is on the verge of being taken away. For some this is a big part of the game and a fan favorite, to others it seems unnecessary and violent. Every now and then players in a game will throw the gloves away and challenge an opponent to a bare knuckle throwdown. In 1922 the rule was introduced in the NHL and is still present in the game as well as the American Hockey League (AHL). This rule varies for different leagues, such as Junior Hockey, College Hockey, and High School Hockey. They do not allow fighting and the referees will suspend players for the remainder of the game if a fight occurs. Hitting and checking however are allowed in these leagues.
Hockey is a physical game no matter what age or league, similar to football, rugby, and boxing. A player in either of these sports know what to expect, it’s what they signed up for. Some players are notorious for fist fighting in the NHL rather than scoring goals. They are known as the “enforcers” or “goons” in the sport. They have a specific job, and that is to play dirty and violent hockey, with the occasional cheapshot hit or fight. Harley Haggarty on the Arizona Hawks in the AHL says in his article on theplayerstribune.com, “I don’t consider myself a good hockey player. I don’t even consider myself a good fighter. But if I want to keep playing hockey, that’s what I’ve got to do.” Some players like Haggarty have contracts not because of their skill with the puck, but because they can fight. Another player named Brandon Prust is a left wing for the Montreal Canadiens, and is known as a gritty player too. He had over 20 fights in his 2012-2013 season. In his article on theplayerstribune.com, he opens with, “Punching your best friend in the face a few times a week will do wonders for your career.” Prust talks about how fighting is part of the game of hockey whether you like it or not, and if that changes so will the entire sport forever.
Every player in the NHL is an adult, and can make decisions on their own. Sometimes you will see the smallest player on one team challenge an enforcer to a fight. That is the beauty of hockey, everyone has pride and will defend themselves against any opponent. If you want to fight, you fight. If you don’t want to fight, you don’t fight, you can just skate away. For example one of the best goal scorers in the game today,
By: Jeremiah Latham
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(Photo by Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports)