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Steve Yzerman Speaks Up About Fighting, What About You?

October 2, 2013, 7:42 PM ET [64 Comments]
Colin Dambrauskas
Calgary Flames Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Follow Colin on Twitter!: @ColinDJD

As is typical with just about any incident in life where somewhere gets injured at “work”, flags are raised and people start to voice their opinions on the subject matter.

Following last night’s game in Montreal against the Toronto Maple Leafs which saw enforcer George Parros taken out on a stretcher after going face first into the ice, we find ourselves debating the importance or relevance of fighting in today’s NHL, once again.

For some, fighting plays a significant role in the game of hockey, while for others it is nothing than a cheap form of entertainment for the fans watching both live in the arenas, and from the seats of their homes.

So which is it – is fighting in hockey relevant, or not?

I suppose this is one of those topics that aren’t easily debated given those who are predominantly involved in conversations. On one hand you have the players themselves who according to a poll taken in 2012 do not want fighting removed (98%), and on the other hand you have the GM’s and owners who see these players as investments, per se. What this should all boil down to, tentatively, is that the only people who should really have any say are those paying to keep the league running – the owners.

At the end of the day it is the owners who put up their monies to run a franchise, and as such, if they feel that their investments are at risk with fighting in the NHL, then I suppose it should stand to reason that they would remove it.

Conversely, given that fighting is arguably a big ticket item with respect to sales and entertainment for the NHL, these same owners likely accept the risk. But let’s take it one step further, because there is so much more to consider than simply risk vs. reward when it comes to the value of fighting in the NHL, in a business sense of course.

As mentioned, players do not want to remove fighting from the NHL as it has been an imperious part of the game since most of us can even remember. I presume where things can get confusing for some is the difference between a John Scott and a David Clarkson.

Both players are known to be enforcers in their own way; however one is a mammoth of a man on skates who really does nothing (but) fight, whereas the other stands up for his teammates by dropping the gloves if necessary but also contributes offensively as well.
Steve Yzerman and a few other highly respected hockey figures spoke up about fighting today as a result of last night’s event. Below are two comments that stood out for me.

“We’re stuck in the middle and need to decide what kind of sport do we want to be. Either anything goes and we accept the consequences or take the next step and eliminate fighting.” - Yzerman

"I'm kind of offended by the fact that it’s a staged fight," former Minnesota Wild GM Doug Risebrough said at the time. "I think fighting is a reactionary thing. When you say staged, it’s not much of a reaction."


The first comment from Yzerman was one that made me reconsider my views on fighting - let me explain. Having played hockey my entire life, and still playing to this day, I have always been a big supporter of fighting and the role that it serves not only to the game, but also to each player out there. Why has my view possibly changed? Well, Steve makes a good point.

The NHL, much like other businesses around the world are very reactionary in the way they run. What I mean by this is that with the way things are going it might take a very serious incident before anything is done to avoid future Parros like injuries…which I’m sure isn’t what the NHL is trying to sell to its fans.

Now, I know what a lot of you are thinking – But Colin, fighting has been around for years and the current number of incidents are so low that it shouldn’t really be a concern…it’s a part of the game, and it has its place.

This too has been my opinion on the matter until fighting in the NHL has suddenly taken a turn for the worse as “goons” are reaching a point where, at this rate, they will begin texting each other the morning of the game to establish a time and period to drop the gloves.

Which brings me to the second quote mentioned above – staged fighting. The relevance of fights, at least for me, are those which are in direct relation to a nasty hit, picking on a star player, snowing the goalie or what have you. The problem? Well each NHL team still employs one or two goons typically found on their 4th line who for the most part, have not much else to offer than a big fight at some point. When the time comes that the coach does ice said player and he feels that it would be a good time to get a fight going as an attempt to energize his fans and or teammates, it is acknowledged that he will tap another on the shoulder and say – It’s time.

Because I feel like I could ramble about this for days, I’d rather keep it short as I’d like to see how you guys all feel. The points that I am trying to get across with this article is that we are currently experiencing two problems with respect to fighting; staging, and fights that result in one player landing face first into a sheet of ice.

While I do not feel that the NHL will entirely remove fighting from its game, the fact that it is getting so much attention and from guys like Yzerman means that change will likely supervene. But what, I ask you, should the NHL and NHLPA consider doing to decrease injuries such as the one experienced by George Parros, and further those that are blatently staged?

So, let me hear it guys…what are your thoughts on all this!?
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