Legal Hits to the Head Aren't the Problem

Yuppie alert. Roy MacGregor, from the Globe and Mail, is the latest to step up and save the NHL from the physical contact that has defined the game for decades. Get in line Damian Cox disciple. You have a long journey in front of you... one that leads you to Nowhereville.

Some drivel:

At 9 minutes 4 seconds of the second period, 22-year-old Patrick Eaves of Calgary rounded the back of the Pittsburgh net with the puck not quite under control, his head slightly bowed as he looked to see who was trying to catch him from behind. As Eaves came past the post, the shoulder of 24-year-old Colby Armstrong of Lloydminster, Sask., arrived at exactly the same time. The hard pad of the taller Pittsburgh forward slammed into the head of Eaves, who went down as if he had been dropped from the rafters.

But no, no one but a concerned referee, a team captain and the team doctor seemed much interested in whether Eaves was in trouble.

There was something far more important going on: a fistfight.

Ottawa's Dean McAmmond and Pittsburgh's Maxim Talbot were busy in the dance that, some say, is the entertainment potential fans wish to see in this game and others argue is the funeral dirge professional hockey is increasingly marching toward. They danced and then, for a while, they slugged away. And then, as always happens, one slipped and went down and the other claimed his meaningless victory.

There was no penalty on the play for Armstrong, who delivered the hit. Under today's hockey rules, there probably should not have been.

But what is to say today's hockey rules are right?

Yes, accidental hits to the head will happen. Obviously they will in such a fast and physical game as hockey. "And what are you going to do about it, then?" someone in the press box asks.

Simple, you still penalize the player who delivers the hit. If I accidentally shoot the puck over the boards in my own end, I get a penalty. If I accidentally clip you and cut you with my stick, I get a penalty.

So it needs to be with head hits.

A couple of things stand out from MacGregor's words. To start with, Roy refers to the McAmmond/Talbot fight as meaningless. What Roy doesn't "get" is that there are two options for the NHL in policing hits to the head... penalties/suspensions or players policing these types of hits. McAmmond stuck up for his fallen teammate and went after Armstrong, only to find a more willing combatant in Talbot. What McAmmond did actually couldn't have been any more meaningful. And while Roy will complain about hits to the head not being penalized, he also wants to remove the only true deterrent to these hits as well.

Another thing Roy fails to mention is that Eaves was skating with his head down, instead referring to Eaves' head as "slightly bowed." What is rule #1 Roy? That's right... keep your head up. Eave's head wasn't slightly bowed. It was down. And he paid the price. The hit was so clean that Senators coach, Brian Murray, said he was fine it. I guess that's not good enough, eh Roy?

And yet another point. Pointing out that other league's penalize hits to the head and not diving into the details of those penalties is all too convenient. And when Roy says "other leagues" let's get right to the point... the NFL. When you dive deeper, you will see that the NFL and NHL deal with hits to the head quite similarly. Both designate legal and illegal hits to the head. In the NHL, there were a number of major penalties that deal with hits to the head... charging, boarding, elbowing, high sticking, etc. In the NFL, illegal hits to the head garner an intentional foul penalty. In both leagues, it is the referees discretion as to whether or not the hit to the head was legal or illegal. In almost every play in the NFL, there is some sort of hit to the head... a linebacker hitting a running back for instance. Those are normal plays that happen frequently during the course of the game.

NFL referees typically reserve calling penalties involving hits to the head for occurrences in which a player jumps at another players head to cause injury or goes out of their way to hit another player. Sound familiar? The NHL calls their game the same way. The only real difference is that the NFL is trying to eliminate helmet to helmet hits, a problem the NHL doesn't have.

Roy MacGregor listen closely. Legal hits to the head are just that... legal. They are not going to be penalized. Fights, too, serve a higher purpose than how you characterize them. If you want someone to listen to you while atop your soap box, write an article about players keeping their heads up. Then... someone might take you seriously.

Sig's 2006-2007 Hockey Fight Awards

Before we jump into my awards for the 2006-2007, let's first take a peak at the overall picture. The unnofficial number of fights for this year is at 495. That is up from 466 in 2005-2206 and down from 789 in 2003-2004. So beware when Uncle Gary tells you that fighting is actually up in the NHL... there is always a convenient comparison. Fighting is actually down some 37% from before the lockout... or pre-new NHL. And to put things into perspective, the chances that you'll see a fight in a game are 1 in 3 as a fight occurs, on average, in 40% of games. And now for the innaugural NHL Fight Awards for 2006-2007.

Disappointment of the Year:

Zdeno Chara - After commenting that he would be there to protect his teammates at the beginning of the season, Bruins fans were treated to NO Zdeno Chara fights this year. Some protection. After taking on the likes of Eric Cairns and Ratis Ivanans last year, Chara was non-existent in 06-07. Now I'm not a Bruins fan, but I am sure there are many Beantowners that are embarrassed with the giant's lack of toughness this year. A huge presence on the ice at 6'9"; an abolsute ghost in the fight department.

Close Second - Eric Boulton - While Boulton's fight totals have dropped every year while playing for Bob "my players are too pretty to fight" Hartley, five doesn't cut it. I personally watched Boulton turn down invitations from Donald Brashear on a few occasions. But not only did he turn him down, he hacked and whacked Brashear and then skated away on a few occasions. It was disgraceful to watch. And with the exception of Colton Orr twice (one a clear loss and one an edge for Orr) and Eric Godard (a clear loss), Jeremy Reich (another loss for Boulton) and Nick Tarnasky aren't exactly tough guys... which shows you exactly what opponents think of Boulton's toughness.

Newcomer of the Year:

Ben "Pycho Shifts" Eager - Yeah he really did Riley Cote "Let's have a psycho shift." Just listen to the clip. And that is exactly what Ben Eager did this year to all of his opponents. For a team that lacked a physical presence for most of the year, Eager was more than a pleasent surprise. The sophomore forward racked up 18 fights for the orange and black this year and led in the league in PIMs by a wide margin (233 for Eager; next closest was Sean Avery at 174). Some of the more well known guys on Eager's fight card include Brendan Witt, Garth Murray, Adam Mair, Ryan Hollweg, David Hale, Mike Commodore, and Colton Orr. And if you don't recall, Eager took on Orr after Orr KO'd his linemate Todd Fedorek. But not only did he step up to avenge the KO and take on a bigger tough guy, he actually edged him out.

Team of the Year:

Is there any doubt? The Anaheim Ducks. With 71 fighting majors this year, there was no messing with the Ducks. The next closest team was Phoenix with a mere 47. The Ducks were packed this year starting with George "Porn Stache" Parros (18 fights), Sean O'Donnell (12 fights), Shawn Thornton (12 fights), and Travis Moen (9 fights). Overall, the Ducks had 15 of their players accumulate at least one fighting major this year. And while the Ducks were tough on the ice, their GM was even tougher in the media. Let's get straight to it... Brian Burke SHOULD be the next NHL Commissioner. The guy is a straight shooter, both with his team and with fighting in the NHL. And while NHL lamoes hide behind their desks as a few fight nim wits ruffle some feathers, Burke hit the media with classic line after classic line. Take a peak:

"It's always the same pattern," Burke said. "You have a fight where someone gets knocked out. . . . Now, the media outlets that pay no attention to us lead with that story. We were on CNN. CNN, who doesn't give us any coverage. It's a flash point for non-hockey fans and non-traditional media venues. Now everyone weighs in on it. People who haven't been to a game in 10 years, don't support the game, aren't involved in the game, but they can go on [television] and say it's time to get rid of fighting."

"Within the game, there is no debate. The vast majority of the people in hockey, the vast majority of the players, the vast majority of the managers and coaches, want to keep fighting in."

Which leads to the Quote of the Year:

Brian Burke: "That's the way our team is built. If you're going to come into our barn you better be ready for a square dance."

Fight of the Year:

Eric Godard -vs- Derek Boogard

Derek "Boogeyman" Boogaard is a monster. And after watching Boogaard run Flame after Flame in the last game, Jim Playfair had seen enough. The next game, this time in Calgary, the Flames called up tough guy Eric Godard. And while Boogaard could probably beat Godard 8 out of 10 times, this time it was all Godard. The tough enforcer proceeded to drop the Boogeyman twice in front of the Calgary crowd. It was a major boost for the Calgary players and a clear message that the Flames were not going to be run anymore without some sort of response.


Fighter of the Year:

Jordin Tootoo. Probably not the most popular of choices. But I can't help be impressed with Tootoo. A fan favorites in Nashville where fans blow Tootoo whistles when he hits the ice, Tootoo certainly won me over this year. The 5'9", 182 lb wears his heart on his sleeve. He hits everthing in sight and routinley backs up his physical play by dropping the gloves. And while I can certainly understand questioning giving the Fighter of the Year trophy (well there is no trophy) to a guy that wears a visor, I will say that Tootoo does not hide behind his visor... he removes it when there is time. What was most impressive about Tootoo this year is that he routinely took on guys bigger than him and did well. Tootoo hung in with Reed Low (6'4", 220 lbs) and slapped around Shane O'Brien (6'2", 237 lbs) to name of a few of his biggest opponents. Tootoo racked up 12 fighting majors (6 wins, 2 losses, 6 draws) this year, good for sixth in the NHL. His only losses (Low, Boynton) both came in his first two fights as well. Tootoo proceeded racked up victories against Goertzen, Brewer, Seabrook, Mayers, O'Brien, and Regher. Toss in a KO of Robidas and you have 7 victories. Congrats to Jordan for becoming TMFB's first Fighter of Year Award winner!



Close second - Donald Brashear - With 14 fights, Brashear was fourth in the league in fights. And with the exception of some a tough matchup with Andre Roy and Andrew Peters (ate a good one and kept going), Brashear was a dominant heavyweight this year. Brashear scored victories over Colton Orr (three times), Vishnevski (bloodying him for Sutton's knee on Green), Danny Bois, George Parros, Andrew Peters (in the rematch), Shanahan (what a warrior Shanny is for even going), Downey (bloodied Downey badly) and Roy (in another rematch after a loss). Overall Brashear went 10-3-1 against opponents this year. Love him or hate him, Brashear is one of the most effective fighters in the NHL. He was also the best enforcer in the NHL this year as well.

2006-2007 NHL's Top Ten - I hate top tens because you can't help but think about the previous year as well. But I'll give it a go:

1) Donald Brashear - 10-3-1 this year; stepped up to the plate against many haters.
2) Georges Laraque - results aside, he doesn't fight enough; his fight with Brashear should have been two for slapping.
3) Derek Boogaard - has yet to beat Laraque; Brashear "slipped" before they could get going.
4) Andrew Peters - scored a great win against Brashear this year.
5) Brian McGratton - right below his rival.
6) George Parros - led the league in fights this year.
7) Colton Orr - take away his losses to Brashear and he gets ranked higher; KO'd the Fridge; beat Jannssen soundly.
8) D.J. King - beat Shelley badly, Barch, Parros, Hordichuk, and Parker. Look out NHL!
9) Jody Shelley - beat Parros, McGratton, and Ivanans.
10) Jordan Tootoo - for the reasons explained above; 6-2-6 this year. Reminds me off a raw Domi.

Feel free to leave a comment to disagree with any/all of this. I welcome the debate. Look out for Huard's 2006-2007 fight awards... coming soon!!!

Flyers Versus Rangers Saturday Night for Fights!

Let's get some hype built up for this game. A lot has been said. A lot has been written. So let's take a look at a game that has the potential for some FIREWORKS!

The last time these two hooked up, we had the infamous Colton Orr KO of Todd Fedoruk.



The hockey world shook after the KO as images of Fedoruk being carted on a stetcher filled television screens across North America. Ben Eager, the NHL league leader in penalty minutes, later took on Orr and edged him out in a spirited battle.



The two teams meet again, and for the final time this regular season, Saturday night in the City of Brothely Love. There is no doubt in my mind that the house will be rocking. The boys over at Fried Chicken's are already building up the hype for this game. And Todd Fedoruk's replacement in the lineup, Riley Cote, has been very candid in his comments about the game. From Flyersphans:

"As a role player, my job is to start stuff," Cote said. "I’m an energy guy. If I can’t find a fight, I have to bring a hit. The last couple of games ..I haven’t been finding fights. So this is a good challenge for me."

Cote, 25, who never scored much at any level but found no problem cranking 200-plus penalty minute seasons in the depths of the Central Hockey League, the East Coast Hockey League, and then with the Phantoms, is willing to take on all challenges.

"I’ve got a lot to prove here," Cote said. "This is a great opportunity the way it works out. I want to show this team that I can fill (Fedoruk’s) shoes in his absence.

"I’m not going to start calling guys out, because it’s a hockey game, not a boxing match. But I’ll play physical and get in people’s faces. And whatever comes, comes."

It was a fair fight between Todd Fedoruk and Colton Orr and an undisputed butt-kicking by the Rangers on the Flyers last week. But that isn't going to change what will happen when the teams play their final game this season at the Wachovia Center tomorrow, according to Riley Cote.

So, does that mean heads up New York?

"Well, yes, kind of," Cote said. "It was a fair fight and every time you fight there's a chance of getting knocked out or getting injured. But as a role player, everybody knows the consequences. There was no cheap shot or anything like that, but it is my teammate. I am a role player and I am a new guy. So I've got a lot to prove here. It's a great opportunity against a tough guy like [Orr].

"I'll get my name out there and show the team I can fill [Fedoruk's] shoes while he's absent.

"As a role player, my job is always to start stuff. I'm an energy guy and if I can't find a fight, I gotta bring a hit. The last couple of games I've found the hits but I can't find the fights. Playing these next couple of teams, they've got guys that are gamers and it will be a challenge."

So just who is this Riley Cote character? Well, take a peak:



And the other combatants for Saturday night? The fight card is as follows:

Flyers:
Riley Cote
Montage
Ben Eager
Fight 1
Fight 2
Fight 3
Brad Richards
Fight 1

Rangers:
Colton Orr
Fight 1
Fight 2
Fight 3
Ryan Hollweg (-vs- Eager)
Fight 1
Fight 2
Jason Strudwick
Fight 1
Fight 2
Sean Avery
Montage
Ryan Callahan
Fight 1
Fight 2

And before we get too pumped up about tomorrow night's game, keep in mind that the Devils are none to pleased with Ben Eager for his treatment of Scott Gomez last game. Eager's action even led Claude Jullien to say:

"Certain things happened that we can deal with the next time we see them."

Eager was also accused of turning down fights from David Hale and Mike Rupp. Eager's response to Jullien:

"I can't even remember the hit," Eager said. "If he gets hit, he gets hit.

"No one is not allowed to get hit out there. I just played hard and finished my checks. If they don't like it, that's their problem."

These two teams meet tonight and I fully expect Cote to find Janssen for his first NHL fight. Said Cote:

"He's a tough dude and it would be good to get my first (fight) under my belt," Cote said. "I'm surer (Eager) will be stirring it up, too. If those guys want to kill him, Eags is doing his job. He gets under people's skin."

Rest assure, Friday and Saturday night should be entertaining for Flyers fans.

Donald Brashear and Capitals Fans Talk Fighting

Kudos to Eric McErlain over at Off Wing for his interview with Donald Brashear following the Pens game. Brashear. Brashear obviously seems upset over the treatment that enforcers get when they step foot on the ice. Brashear said the star players get away with a lot more. I can vouch for Brashear on that one as I seen him get hit with a number of loose penalty calls this year including one where he whistled for tripping when his stick was four feet aware from the opposing player's skates. I am sure the treatment is no different than what other enforcers around the league are getting.

Donald Brashear on NHL Fighting
Uploaded by emcerlain

Eric also took it to the streets (or the first level concourse) to grab some Caps' fans takes on fighting in the NHL. The response was overwhelming with most saying that fighting belong in the game to deter players from taking more cheap shots.

Hockey Fans on Fighting
Uploaded by emcerlain

Bettman Chimes in on Fighting in Hockey

The Commissioner is alive! Well, really that statement is just a product of how few interviews our great Commissioner actually gives, and even more so, how many interesting interviews he actually gives. From Monday’s Globe and Sport, Gary Bettman has spoken and said that fighting isn’t going anywhere. Are you surprised? I’m not. Last week, league disciplinarian Colin Campbell said fighting was something the league should take a look at. The statement was blown way out of proportion. What people forget is, it is Campbell’s job to look at everything and anything hockey related. So chatting about fighting is just an added bullet to the list. And there shouldn’t be any worries, the debate starts with the league’s General Managers. You know, the same General Managers that just voted to increase the number of instigators from three to five before a player is suspended? Yeah… that debate should go far.

As for Gary’s comments... Gary isn’t going to say anything that will get him in trouble. And since the GM’s (an extension of team owners) have already had their say on fighting, Uncle Gary is going to be right in line with what they say. Why? Because Gary is an extension of the owners too… what some might call a puppet.

Some quotables from the Globe article:

Bettman told reporters at the CBC that fighting is actually down over the long term and that the fighting-related injuries in the past few weeks may be an "aberration, not a trend."

"Fighting has always had a role in the game and the amount of fighting is determined by how the game is played," Bettman is quoted as saying on the CBC website.

"From a player safety standpoint, what happens in fighting is something we need to look at just as we need to look at hits to the head," Bettman said. "But we're not looking to have a debate on whether fighting is good or bad or should be part of the game . . .

"Players have gotten bigger and we at least have to look at the consequence of that on player safety."

"My view on fighting hasn't changed," Bettman said. "We've never taken active steps or considered eliminating fighting from the game. I've always taken the view that it's a part of the game and it rises and lowers based on what the game dictates."

"The PA [National Hockey League Players' Association] obviously is going to have to be involved," Bettman said. "This is something that's going to have to be discussed with the managers, with the competition committee . . . and ultimately the board of governors."

Response from one of the league's biggest enforcers, Buffalo's Andrew Peters, was
definitive.

"How long has fighting been around the game of hockey? It's part of the game, the fans love it and there's a need for it, for someone to protect their teammates," the 6-foot-4, 230-pound left winger said.

NHL Stars Throw Cheap Hits Too

Forget the tough guys and agitators. Star players throw cheapies too. Have a look at some of protected stars of the NHL throwing some elbows and laying the lumber.

Ovechkin:


Kovalchuk in the Olympics:


Phaneuf:


Kyle McLaren:


Cheechoo:


Neidermayer (Olympics again):


Forsberg punches Cloutier in the nether region:


Hatcher:


Jagr:


Hatcher (again) on Roenick:

Mel Angelstad versus Darcy Hordichuk

I mentioned the Mel Anglestad/Darcy Hordichuk toe-to-toe scrap in the Maxim entry. Might as well give you a taste. Here are their two epic battles:

Round 1:


Round 2:

An Open Letter to Ed Moran

Mr. Moran,

I saw your article online this morning. I am sure you have received quite a few of these emails. Here’s my take.

You use Todd Fedoruk’s knockout to partially justify ridding fighting from hockey. Do you not realize that Todd would lose his job if fighting were not a part of the game? Or do you realize it and use his knockout to your benefit anyways?

Fighting isn’t going anywhere. I write about it all the time at my blog (http://twominutesforblogging.blogspot.com/). I won’t bore you with the repeated anecdotes as to why fighting is good for the sport. I will say that, when used correctly, it serves a very important purpose to incidents that are much more problematic than fighting. It also serves a purpose to a fan base that has said time and time again that they have no problem with fighting… and, if anything, they’d like to see more fights.

Mr. Moran. The GMs have spoken; they want more instigators before a player is suspended. And as you know, the GMs are an extension of the owners, who we all know, are an extension of our puppet Commissioner. The players have spoken in a player’s poll; 97% support fighting. The fans speak in countless polls; they routinely say that 8 to 9 out of 10 fans support fighting in hockey. And even research displays that fighting has a positive correlation with fan attendance, something that cannot be ignored.

This isn’t PCU. Hockey cannot afford to cater to a handful of writers/fans that say fighting isn’t good for the sport. The NHL has heard all of the arguments, specifically those that center on what you covered in your article (someone is going to die and the Olympics). What you fail to mention however is that there is a much higher chance that someone will die from a hit from behind or a puck or skate to the throat. Remember that hockey players skate at break neck speeds with razor blades on their feet. Clint Malarchuk will never forget that. Players also shoot 100 mph slap shots that players feel compelled to dive in front of.

And don’t forget too that comparing Olympic or NHL playoff hockey to a regular season NHL game is comparing apples to oranges. There is so much more at stake in the Olympics or playoffs. What is at stake is what drives the action. A regular season game doesn’t come close to that drama. Regular season games absolutely need the intensity that culminates in fights. Without that intensity, and without the fights, the NHL will lose more of its fan base. And although Colin Campbell will say that they will look at it, anyone that has followed the business side of the NHL will let you know that that removing fighting the NHL is not a business decision that the NHL will make. Simply put, they cannot afford to.

Maxim Online Ranks Their Top Ten Hockey Fights

Maxim Magazine, known for man gadgets and super hotties, found some space for hockey fights in their March edition. No complaints here as they were able to put together ten solid scraps from years past. Let’s just hope Paul Laus doesn’t get his hands on this issue though. Maxim was a little shaky on the spelling of his name. We won’t hold it against them. Tasker -vs- Senn is a little known minor league fight. It's probably one of the best toe-to-toe scraps you'll see with Hordichuk -vs- Angelstad giving the two dynamo middleweights a run for their money.

TSN Article on Fighting in the NHL

TSN ran some pro-fighting material finally. I am happy to say that someone has finally talked about the overwhelming image, of carrying someone out on a stretcher, has on hockey fans.

"The notion that because one player got knocked cold in a fight, that's going to touch off a debate about eliminating fighting, to me is silly," said the Anaheim Ducks GM (Brian Burke).

"The stretcher and all that was probably blown out of proportion, they were just taking precautions," Fedoruk told CP in an interview Friday. "Obviously I was knocked out, but the day after I was fine."

The "someone is going to get killed" arguement was also brought up:

"I think it's possible," acknowledged Fedoruk, who had facial bones smashed in by Derek Boogaard earlier in the season. "You know I think it's something where guys now are 260, 270 pounds, and they're hitting bone on bone. It's getting worse and worse. I don't know if the initial hit is going to kill somebody, but maybe falling to the ice and smacking his head off the ice could do it. I think it's something that you have to take into account now, just because of the size of the guys.

I despise this arguement. In a game that sees players skate with razor blades on their feet at break neck speeds and dive in front of 100 mph slap shots, I think that a death will happen from another aspect of the game before it happens in a fight. Just ask Clint Malarchuk...

Now to the realastic quoatables:

"Taking fighting out of the game is definitely not a solution," said Fedoruk. "You just can't do it. It's ingrained in the roots of hockey."

"If the players know that there's no fighting and there's no retaliation, you can be pretty sure that guys will start running guys from behind along the boards now." (Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford)

"Fighting has been systematically reduced in the NHL," said Burke, who had Fedoruk in Anaheim and phone him this week to make sure he was OK. "You are more likely now to not see a fight than you are to see one, through instigator penalties, suspensions and fines for fights in the last three [actually five] minutes of a game. It's been reduced to, in my mind, its proper place. It's no longer utilized as a tactic.

"But the notion that we ever get rid of the players' ability to regulate what happens, is silly to me."

"The game is a great game the way it is," said [Andrew] Peters. "The guys that are willing to do that, the guys that drop the gloves know what the risk is, know why they're doing it. I do it for my team and I'm willing to do it.

"What's going to happen if we're gone? Is Daniel Briere going to fight his own battles? Is Chris Drury going to fight his own battles? You have to have someone there to protect your teammates.

"If you do remove it I think you'll see guys run around and take even more liberties."

Another Fan Poll; Another Win for Fighting

Yahoo Sports is devoting their front page to the debate on hockey fighting. Another poll... another win for fighting in hockey.

Fighting in the NHL:

There's too much 10%

It's not an issue 51%

There should be more 39%

29836 Total Votes

As it stands... 9 out of 10 fans think fighting is good for hockey. So what's the issue?

Rebirth of goons puts hockey back on U.S. map

Stephen Brunt, from the Globe and Mail, weighs in on fighting in hockey. Brunt's article is fairly accurate, although I don't much care for him pointing out incidents that are not good for hockey and making them out to be somewhat positive because they draw attention to the sport. I, for one, am not a believer that any publicity is good publicity. Seeing guys being carted off on stretchers in not good for a sport that wants to repair its image in my opinion.

But Brunt takes it a step further and asks the question, are these images actually a positive for the NHL? Says Brunt:

Here's where the Don Cherrys and Brett Hulls are unquestionably correct. Have a few big brawls, such as the Ottawa Senators-Buffalo Sabres melee, and you'll get noticed. Have a few players carried off the ice on stretchers — such as Tomas Kaberle and Todd Fedoruk and Stéphane Robidas — and you won't just make the evening sportscasts, you might make the evening news as well.

Provide highlights like Chris Simon's stick swing or Jordin Tootoo's one-punch, glove-on knockout or Colton Orr crunching Fedoruk's surgically repaired face with his fist and people are going to pay attention even in a world of sports overkill — because you sure don't see that in any other mainstream game.

Blunt goes on to say that the NHL has a decision to make. Curb fighting or promote it? But there are two things here. One, the NHL has already made some sort of a decision. The GMs have voted to increase the number of insitigator penalities from three to five before a player is suspended, a display that GMs are more concerned about cheap shot artists than enforcers beating up random players. And two, the NHL doesn't have to make a decision. As has been pointed out, this has been a relatively calm year when it comes to suspensions. Campbell handed out 31 supplemental suspensions in 2003-04 (not counting automatic suspensions). That dropped to 21 last season. A mere 9 supplemental suspensions have been handed down this season.

So why all the complaning? My thought is the lack of coverage for regular hockey fights (goals, clean hits, and saves) and the overwhelming coverage of fights, brawls, dirty hits, and guys being carted off on stretchers.

The image the league is creating now is out of the NHL's hands. It was out of their hands as soon as they failed to secure themselves a respectable television contract where hockey would have received regular highlights broadcast to millions of viewers. Now it is "hockey in a minute" highlights. And what is more exciting to see during that minute? A player scoring a goal? Or a player being knocked cold from a punch? I know ESPN's answer...

Ban Fighting in the NHL? I Think Not...

More drivel from TSN. TSN is about as anti-fighting a source as you will find on the net. So this article doesn't really come as a surprise. Dragging on the tails of the Colton Orr KO of Todd Fedoruk, TSN strung together a pathetic attempt at an article aimed at banning fighting in the NHL. The article comes up short from their end, however, as they were unable to get a quote from any of the players saying that they think fighting should be banned. The closest they could get was a couple of quotes from League Disciplinarian, Colin Campbell, saying the NHL should take a look at it.

''I think it's time to ask the question,'' Campbell told The Canadian Press on Thursday. ''I think you have to ask the question because of what's happening out there. It's incumbent on me, because of my position, to ask the question.''

You actually can't blame Campbell for saying this. It is his duty to ask questions like this. And just because you ask a question doesn't mean that the answer is going to turn out like Damien Cox wants it to.

Campbell adds:

''But now I think because of the size of our players, where we're at in sports and in life, I think we have to look at it.''

''This year we've had two players carried out on stretchers because of fair, consenting fights that had taken place. . . . It scares you,'' said Campbell.

Again, he isn't far off on this one either. I myself have asked whether guys like Derek Boogard are good for the league. It's not a fair question though as you can't blame a guy for being too good at his job. But seeing guys getting carted off on stretchers isn't good for the image of hockey. Seeing guys hold their crushed orbital and cheek bones isn't good for the image of hockey either.

''Guys being carried off on stretchers was never a common occurrence,'' he said. ''It's happened too many times already this year. I think we have to ask the question, is the risk worth it? Is this part of the game worth it?''

On the point of stretchers, it was quite clear that Todd Fedoruk didn't want to be carted off the ice the other night. But the Flyers' tough guy had little choice. While I agree that it is best to get guys stabilized that have taken a significant blow to the head, I believe carting them off contributes to the anti-fighting cause. Simply put, it didn't used to be like that. Even Clint Malarchuk, after taking a skate blade to the jugular, was able to skate off on his own. And if you were to cart off every single NFL player that suffered a head blow, the games would be four hours long. So not much has really changed in the NHL when it comes to head injuries; a lot of hit has to do with the image of seeing guys being carted off today instead of skating off in the past.

''I think you're going to lose fans,'' veteran Coyotes centre Jeremy Roenick said. ''As much as I hate to say it - because you'd like to think everybody comes to see the exciting players do their thing - but there's a large amount of people who love the physical, tough aspect of our sport. And fighting is a favourite of a lot of people.

Roenick speaks the truth hear. If you think that fighting will not hurt ticket sales, you are sadly mistaken. Hockey wouldn't even be able to claim the title of "niche sport" if the league was to ban fighting. No chance... not when 24 of 30 teams reside in the United States, the United States that has displayed time and time again that they crave an element of violence in their game. And, no, hitting is not enough. Besides, that is where the majority of head blows have come from this year anyways.

''I worry about what would happen if there wasn't a way to let out the frustration with a fight,'' said Roenick. ''Because let's face it, there is absolutely no respect in the game any more, with the way guys are taking runs at people and with the cheap shots and the late hits. Guys are getting hurt. If you take fighting out all of a sudden these guys are going to take even more liberties because they don't have to be accountable for themselves.

Again Roenick hits the target. There are less occurences of players fighting today just to fight. Hockey players fight for a reason. They do it to swing the momentum of the game toward their team. We have seen it so many times this year. The next day, you read an article that singles out a fight by a player the swung the momentum of the game. Players fight to stick up for teammates. Again, I can't even fathom how many times this has happened this year. I've watched the Washington Capitals stick up for each other all year long. That is one reason they have earned the reputation as a hard working team that never gives up. You see players fight for retribution of a dirty hit. The Senators/Sabres brawl is an example of this.... you know, the brawl that garnered hockey the most attention it has received in two years? Players fight to deter. Let's face it, there are way too many cheap players in the league today. How many times have we heard it that respect is at an all-time low in the game? You have to be able to police the game directly on the ice as soon as an incident occurs. After the fact discipline is certainly a deterence, but not nearly hte deterence of knowing that you could have your butt kicked if you don't knock off the cheap hits.

Folks... fighting isn't going anywhere. The deciding factor is that it would be a disastrous financial decision to ban fighting. And we all know that the owners are most concerned about their pockets being full... why else would Gary Bettman still be the Commissioner of the NHL?

And I have said it before, the players want fighting, the GMs want fighting, the owners want fighting, and most importantly, the fans want fighting.

NHL Violence Doesn't Compare to NBA and NFL Violence

With the recent outcry from Yuppie Hockey League fans over the three hits that have actually put hockey in the sports spotlight, it’s not difficult to lose sight of what makes hockey a great sport filled with great athletes. It’s also pretty easy to lend too much time to incidents that are actually quite rare and forget about the incidents that do not occur. Both define a sport and its athletes. And when you take both into consideration, hockey, despite all of its thug and goon-like characterizations, is one of the cleanest team sports in North America. John Rolfe, from Sports Illustrated, takes a closer look. Quotable:

The closest thing to Pacman the NHL has had may have been notorious enforcer Bob Probert, whose litany of arrests included a 1994 incident in which he crashed his motorcycle into a car while riding with a robustly elevated blood alcohol level and supposedly told Chicago police, "Just charge me with the usual."

Yes, the league has had its share of vicious hits and notorious brutes (Todd Bertuzzi, Marty McSorley, Spraque Cleghorn, even the great Gordie Howe and Rocket Richard were not for the faint of heart), rogues and substance abusers (Probert, Theo Fleury), scandals (Alan Eagleson, John Spano, Rick Tocchet) and even a murder case (Mike Danton). There have been drinking-and-driving tragedies (Pelle Lindbergh), not to mention a guy (Dino Ciccarelli) running around without his pants on a la Detroit Lions assistant coach Joe Cullen. Baseball may be the current and traditional home office for cheats, but the NHL has them, too (McSorley's stick, Garth Snow's slyly oversized goalie pads, and let's see what the unfolding steroids/HGH investigations yield).

All in all, though, three decades of NHL misdeeds amount to what the NBA and NFL squeeze out in a good week. That's no small accomplishment for a sport that has been famously described as "a form of disorderly conduct in which the score is kept" and "figure skating in a war zone" -- one with a culture of violence that has been proudly embraced and ingrained for generations.

Of course, no one actually pays to watch good citizenship, though it can't hurt, so to speak, to have it around. As much as we decry it, we humans really don't mind violence as long as it's administered fairly.

There will always be those who tut-tut-tut and hold the NHL up as the black-eyed, toothless poster child for mindless, grinning violence, but I agree with what SI's Michael Farber wrote: the league polices itself reasonably well, but all the butt-numbing suspensions in Christendom won't prevent the next incoming Sher-wood swung in the heat of the moment. Yet, if you can heartily embrace the NFL's brand of colorful, controlled violence, the NHL game is certainly worth your time and attention, and if you long for a league with a fair degree of likeable citizens, you can do a whole lot worse elsewhere.

Instigation needs investigation

Mike Heika, from the Dallas Morning News, recently reviewed two similar incidents from a Dallas Star's game; one where an instigator was called and another where it was not called. As with any rule, the instigator is a purely subjective decision made by the game referee. Arguing whether or not the referee made the right call is like arguing whether or not the Ted Saskin will be fired; it just doesn’t matter. You can only hope that, at the end of the day, referees sit down and watch game tapes and see their mistakes, and work toward a system that is consistent. What is interesting is that we get to hear from yet another hockey insider that thinks that the rule should be dumped all together to throw out the ambiguity. Quotable:

Confusion surrounding the instigator penalty is just one reason the league needs to consider dumping the rule, Stars coach Dave Tippett said.

The Stars had two instances where the instigator penalty could have been called Sunday – it was called in only one.

NHL GMs have recommended changing the current suspension rule related to the instigator penalty."

In my own personal opinion, I'm glad they're looking at the instigator penalty," Tippett said.

Simon not only problem

Chris Simon’s hit was dangerous, malicious, and intentional. There is no doubt about that. But the part that gets forgotten in all of this is, he did it for a reason. Randy Sportak, from the Calgary Sun, takes a closer look at the hitee, Ryan Hollweg, and some of the other pests of the NHL before asking some current players about the role the instigator has in keeping them in check. Quotable:

Chris Simon got what he deserved.

Now, though, the powers that be must take into account what caused Simon to slash Hollweg and do something about it.

Let's take a peek at Hollweg's rap sheet. He's no angel.The 119 penalty minutes he's racked up this season for the Rangers proves it.

This season alone, Hollweg has amassed a trio of boarding penalties and two charging minors. He's also twice been flagged for kneeing, once worthy of a major
penalty.

Oh yeah, and he's collected three elbowing penalties, seven roughing minors and a dozen fighting majors.

"It's one thing to be a fiery guy, a hard worker and intense, one of those middleweight guys that crashes and bangs but it's another thing to take advantage of guys, and you see a lot of that now," [Rhett] Warrener said. "You see guys exposed and in vulnerable positions and they just eat that stuff up. Guys aren't protected at
all by the league in that respect, so maybe they should worry about that stuff,
too."

Hollweg's transgressions haven't gone unnoticed. Last season, he was given a three-game suspension for checking Philly's R.J. Umberger from behind.

And Hollweg's hardly alone. Guys like Sean Avery and Matt Cooke have few friends outside their dressing rooms.

Nashville's Jordin Tootoo -- who Calgary's Robyn Regehr chased down this past week and tried to pummel-- is another offender, called out for always being the second man into the corners.

Earlier this season, St. Louis goalie Manny Legace referred to Tootoo as a "donkey" after a game in which the Predators forward was twice called for charging, one of which came when he drilled Christian Backman as he touched the puck on an icing call.

Regehr feels the current instigator rules prevent players from policing those who bend the rules.

"It's a little harder for those guys to be kept in check because of the rules of the game but I think those will be changing and there'll be other ways to take care of it in the future," he said.

"When I first came into the league, something like this didn't happen because the rules were a little different," said Darren McCarty. "It's not the tough guys you have to worry about because they police themselves, it's the guys in the middle that play that pesky role and aren't held accountable.

Pugulism at its Finest: the NHL's Longest Suspensions

From the Canadian Press, here are the longest suspensions in the NHL history. And keep in mind that Chris Simon’s suspension could actually last a maximum of 43 games should the Islanders play four 7-game series in the playoffs.

25 games - Chris Simon, New York Islanders, March 11, 2007, for the rest of the regular season (15 games) and playoffs for his two-handed stick attack against New York Rangers forward Ryan Hollweg. If the Islanders play fewer than 10 playoff games, the suspension continues next season.

23 games - Marty McSorley, Boston, Feb. 2000, for knocking out Vancouver's Donald Brashear with a stick-swinging hit. On Nov. 7, 2000, the suspension was extended by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to Feb. 20, 2001.

23 games - Gordie Dwyer, Tampa Bay, Sept. 19, 2000, for abusing officials and exiting the penalty box to fight in an exhibition game against Washington.

21 games - Dale Hunter, Washington, May 1993, for a blindside check on Pierre Turgeon of the Islanders after a goal in a playoff game.

20 games - Todd Bertuzzi, Vancouver, March 11, 2004, for sucker-punching Colorado forward Steve Moore on March 8. Bertuzzi's suspension was for 13 regular-season games, plus playoffs. Bertuzzi was reinstated 17 months later, after the yearlong lockout.

20 games - Tom Lysiak, Chicago, Oct. 1983, for intentionally tripping a linesman.

20 games - Brad May, Phoenix, Nov. 15, 2000, for hitting Columbus' Steve Heinze on the nose with his stick in a game on Nov. 11.

16 games - Eddie Shore, Boston, 1933, for hitting Toronto's Ace Bailey over the head with his stick.

15 games - (3 regular-season, 12 playoff games) Maurice Richard, Montreal, March 1955, for striking linesman Cliff Thompson during a scuffle with Boston's Hal Laycoe.

15 games - Wilf Paiement, Colorado, Oct. 1978, for swinging his stick and hitting Detroit's Dennis Polonich in the face.

15 games - Dave Brown, Philadelphia, Nov. 1987, for cross-checking Tomas Sandstrom of the New York Rangers across the face and breaking his jaw.

15 games - Tony Granato, Los Angeles, Feb. 1994, for slashing Pittsburgh's Neil Wilkinson.

Craig Coxe Interview with the Province

In between running their enforcer tournament, the Province interviewed one of their panelists, former tough guy Craig Coxe. Coxe is best remembered for his two slugfests with legendary enforcer Bob Probert. A couple of tidbits from the article:

Fighting gave him a chance to play in the NHL. It earned him the respect of his peers. It afforded him a certain notoriety.

"The first couple of years, I really enjoyed it. You're young, you're ready to take on the world. You think you're invincible. I had fun doing it."

Coxe fought the most feared heavyweights of his era, including Bob Probert and Dave Brown in a span of five weeks in the fall of 1985 while he was with the Canucks.
He did not approach his work half-heartedly. Coxe watched tapes of other fighters and built up a book on each man. He learned trade secrets from Canucks scouting director Ron Delorme, who was then winding down his playing career, and veteran tough guy Glen Cochrane. He fought early and he fought often.

His first fight with Probert came at the Coliseum early in the 1985-86 season. The minute-long epic started in the faceoff circle in front of the Detroit net, went into the corner, then behind the net and back into the corner before it ended in front of the
Detroit net. If Coxe didn't win the fight, he certainly didn't lose it.

A couple of years later he fought both Joey Kocur and Probert in the same game in Detroit.

"I still have a hard time watching the NHL on TV. I wish I was still there."

David Koci Wastes No Time

David Koci made a historic debut in the NHL last night. The 6'6" tough guy had three fights, received a major for charging, and was ejected from the game with 42 PIMs. I'm no penalty minute historian, so if anyone knows is there had been a more pugulistic debut beyond this, please post a comment. And please note that Koci's hit was 100% clean. Here is your YouTube for Koci getting dropped by Josh Gratton in his first NHL fight, then coming back to do a bit better in his second, followed by the clean Koci hit and Boynton versus Koci.

Note - Fine job by the commentator for mistaking Josh Gratton for Chris Gratton in the second fight.

Chris Simon "Marty McSorley's" Ryan Hollweg

You're done Chris Simon. Yeah I said it. I'm pro-fighting. And I'm a Caps' fan that loved Simon when he was in Washington. But you're done. The NHL should throw the book at Chris Simon. He should be suspended for the rest of the year, playoffs included if the Islanders make it.

Simon, after being hit from behind by Ryan Hollweg, waited for the small forward to come back and hit him with a whicked baseball-like swing to the face. Hollweg caught the brunt of the stick and went down like a sack of potatoes. He left the ice bleeding from the chin. The swing brings back shades of Marty McSorley knocking Donald Brashear to the ice, only McSorley's swing wasn't near as hard as Simon's.

With head shots being a hot topic in the NHL, Simon's swing couldn't have been timed any worse. On top of that, Simon is a tough guy. Sure, he isn't the tough guy that fights near as much as he used to, but he is the toughest guy on the Islanders roster. He did just feed Todd Fedoruk his lunch last week you know. But Simon scores too. He has 27 points in 67 games.

But throw it all out. He could be Sidney Crosby for all I care. Chris Simon used his stick as a weapon last night. That might be the single most worst thing you can do in hockey. I beg of Colin Campbell to suspend him however many games the Islanders play this year. Chris Simon's act was not him policing the ice; it was him loitering it with thugdom.

Update - Chris Simon has been suspended indefinitely by the NHL pending a hearing.

I also can't help but find it amusing to hear non-hockey commentators talking about this. Mike Greenberg couldn't even rememeber Hollweg's name. Greenberg then called for Simon to be suspend all of this year and next year. Skip Bayless, from Cold Pizza, called for Simon to be suspended for life from the NHL. Why don't they leave hockey to the hockey guys instead of embarrassing themselves?

Update - Chris Simon receives a 22 game suspension from the NHL. The suspension includes 14 regular season games and 7 playoff games.

Update Update - Per NHL.com, Chris Simon is suspended for a minimum of 25 games. That essentially means that Simon will sit next year if the Islanders do not make the playoffs or do not play at least 11 games in the playoffs. And while one would think that Simon could play again this year if the Islanders progress into the playoffs, that does not appear to be the case according to Colin Campbell. Apparently he will not play another game this year no matter what. To be quite honest, this is all annoying. Could the NHL's statement by any greyer? The statement should say something along the lines of, "Chris Simon is suspended for a minimum of 25 games. Regardless of if the Islanders progress far enough into the playoffs to play 25 games, Mr. Simon will not play in another NHL game this season."

Said Simon.... "There is absolutely no place in hockey for what I did," Simon said in a statement released by the team during the first period of the Islanders' game against Washington on Saturday night. "What you saw Thursday is not the person, player and competitor that I am. I know my teammates and opponents over my 14 years in the NHL understand that."

Simon is also suffering concussion-like symptoms from being hit from behind by Hollweg. What gets me is that a lot of people out there, Barry Melrose of all people included, are saying that Hollweg's hit was clean. It was not. It was from behind and he should have received a charging call for it.

Let's hope the next time these two teams meet, the Rangers are more willing to drop the gloves and fight like men. In my opinion, that is one reason Simon did what he did. In five regular season matchups, we have seen more cheap play than in any other series this year; there has not been one fighting major.

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