Time for the NHL to Ban Fighting

It’s time for the NHL to ban fighting.

The Toronto Maple Leafs no longer carry an enforcer.  Neither do most NHL teams.

The closest thing they have is maybe Matt Martin, but he can play a bit and isn’t necessarily known as a fighter in the traditional sense.  This isn’t a new development – since Brendan Shanahan was hired to run the team they’ve never really seemed to be very interested in fighting or fighters.

This is typical of most teams in the league, as fighting has been in decline for years and years.  Back in the 80s and 90s, every team had an enforcer.  There were fights every game.  But, in a classic case of trying to have it both ways, the NHL has tried to remove it from the game without saying so outloud and angering their macho base.  (For example, the instigator rule that was put in in the 1990s, and recently they made it so you couldn’t take off your helmet).

But such half-measures are no longer acceptable and it’s time for the NHL to actually ban fighting outright.

No Need for It

Given what we now know about concussions, and how dangerous they are, it is unconscionable and immoral to continue to allow bare knuckle fighting (on ice!).

All NHL fans know about the tragic ends to the lives of enforcers like Derek Boogaard, Wade Belak, Bob Probert and others.  It’s not coincidence that all of these guys were fighters.  And since it isn’t, I don’t know how we can continue to allow people to put their health at risk so that we can be entertained.  It’s gross.

Since the instigator rule, fighting has been a sad parody of itself.  It’s just designated fighters fighting other designated fighters.  The idea that Sundin was protected from cheapshots because Belak would fight Chris Neal if a different Senator touched Sundin never made any sense to me.  It never made any sense to anyone because the idea is dumb.

Fighting in the NHL offers nothing. No protection, barely any entertainment value, and it has nothing to do with helping a team win. And yet,  it comes with a level of risk that wouldn’t be worth it even if really was necessary to winning.

Since we know that dangers of fighting and are now smart enough to understand that there are no benefits, why is fighting still allowed in hockey?

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There is no reason for it.  To continue to allow and encourage it is negligent and grossly irresponsible.  The NHL should ban fighting immediately and make it so that anyone who does fight is suspended for a long time.