Should fighting be banned in NHL Hockey?

[DrPepper12]

No other sports tacitly encourages or even tolerates what is a regular occurrence in hockey. Is is time to crackdown and eradicate it?

Yes phase it out to a ban

Yes IMMEDIATELY ban it

No it's part of the sport / entertainment

I got no dog in this fight - IDC

Here's my slap shot...

[WhiteSteve]

Absolutely not. I love it. I even engage in a little myself from time to time😝

Play this on loop at my funeral, lmao

One of the cool things about hockey is that it’s self-policing. The refs can’t see everything, and with the heightened speed and subsequent heightened risk of injury if you just let people fly around, and two or four minutes in the box is worth it to some players to knock the opponent’s best player out for the game, or multiple games, or the season, or even worse.

Getting your ass handed to you in front of 20,000 people is a different way to keep you honest.

This was just the other night. The Rangers have this kid Matt Rempe who, in fairness, is about 6’7, so it might just be that people’s heads are where his elbows naturally are…. but he’s been known to hurt guys before with the ol’ spicy Buffalo wing.

So he caught another guy the other night, who was fortunately alright, but it was a reckless and dangerous hit that should be answered for, especially if you don’t get a call from the ref. But it’s just kind of “the code” of hockey that you take people to task for lighting up your teammate, sometimes even if it’s a clean hit. You want to keep them settled down, because the next hit might be dirty and knock someone into next Wednesday.

So, Rempe got his elbow up, the refs didn’t call it, so someone challenged him and sent him to the box with a nosebleed. Now, Rempe’s only in the league TO fight, so getting biffed in the nose a couple times might be all in a day’s work to him, but other guys might think twice the next time they have someone lined up.

Either way, as you see at 1:00, the aggrieved teammate certainly appreciates being stood up for….

https://www.youtube.com/embed/GcZ3yUrZVvE

[DrPepper12]

Yeah. He's a big boy!! Chara part deux

[WhiteSteve]

Yeah, I’m surprised he’s a forward. He’d be tough to get around on length alone. I remember even in Big Z’s last year when he was a shell of himself, just being 6’9 with a 6’6 stick you could get decent minutes out of him.

[NathanDavis]

I don't know...

personally I think it is about the dumbest, useless and cringy thing in sports (besides just how stupidly long will it take for baseball to pitch a ball... lmao) but I don't know... if they keep it I guess they keep it because it does serve a purpose, so...

best example of how just stupid it is to allow and encourage this kind of contact is... that incident from months ago, in which some idiot literally hit another player with the blade... a stupid ass kick for no reason, and the player who got hit died in seconds...

[DrPepper12]

It is a tough and dangerous sport. And expensive as FUCK!! My son and then my poor bil whose BOTH sons are goalies. They're broke 24/7

[NathanDavis]

lol, well... as long they're happy knuckleheads...

[Beckybooboo]

I don't like it at all. It's unfortunate that fighting and violence is what comes to people's minds when they think about hockey, because they are actually superb athletes. I had a neighbor that played in the NHL and I didn't like seeing how he acted when he played lol That's why I only saw him play twice. He was a very aggressive and tough player but he was also an amazing athlete, very dedicated and a good guy! I voted phase it out and eventually ban it. Too many of the fighters have struggled later in life from concussions.

[DrPepper12]

Great take!!! TY!!! 👍🏻😊

[Beckybooboo]

Thank you for MHO and I'm glad you liked my take on it. Hockey is one of my favorite sports to watch, mainly because of how talented they are and I don't think enough people appreciate that because it can be violent at times.

[dustybiker2]

To me it's up to the people participating in the sport. The fighting has prevented me from watching it.

[DrPepper12]

Interesting. Do you know others who feel the same? What demographics?

[dustybiker2]

I don't. It's odd because I love martial arts. But really my sport is defensive not by all appearances abnormally aggressive.

[AI Opinion]

Fighting in NHL hockey has long been a subject of debate. While it is part of the game's history and excitement for some fans, it poses significant safety risks and sportsmanship concerns. Other sports prioritize player safety, and perhaps hockey could benefit from aligning with those standards. Reducing fighting could enhance the sport's appeal and focus more on skill and teamwork. 🏒

[David318578]

No it's part of the sport. Go watch soccer if you like guys flopping to the grown pretending they have a broken leg because someone got close to them.

[Anonymous]

I would not watch hockey without fighting being involved in the game.

[exitseven]

No, it is part of the sport.