As a member of a generation that enjoyed fighting in the National Hockey League, watching a series of bouts in a game between bitter rivals is something I remember fondly, but events such as the rampage in a KHL preseason game Monday is unlikely to take a place in anyone’s mental Rolodex.
The game between Astana Barys and the expansion Kunlun Red Star was suspended after three minutes when defenseman Damir Ryspayev decided to attack everyone in a red uniform, as if he was the bull in an old Warner Bros. cartoon trying to kill Bugs Bunny.
This is the "brawl" that caused Barys/Kunlun to end after 3 minutes. Damir Ryspayev should be banned from hockey. pic.twitter.com/b6OpcuUf5i
— Jeff Veillette (@JeffVeillette) August 8, 2016
The 21-year-old(who has two career points and nearly 400 penalty minutes between the MHL and KHL) has been suspended for the rest of the preseason. This incident should be a concern for the NHL if the trend towards the elimination of fighting continues.
Enforcers are on the endangered species list and teams are phasing out one-dimensional role players on the fourth line, but deterrence is something that will only be missed when a player like Ryspayev decides to take advantage of the opposition not having a player to keep him in check. One of the first Leafs-Sabres games I attended was at Memorial Auditorium in February 1979, when Buffalo winger Danny Gare took a run at Toronto goalie Mike Palmateer along the boards.
The hit sparked a brawl that included a heavyweight bout between defenseman Dave Hutchinson and rookie tough guy Larry Playfair. Although the Leafs did not get to Gare, the signal had been sent that if you take liberties with a teammate, there will be a price to pay.
The additions of Roman Polak and Matt Martin were necessary to protect youngsters William Nylander, Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews this season, in spite of the criticism of some observers that the physical aspect of the game is not as vital and that signing Martin for four years at $2.5 Million per season was not wise.
Will critics be saying that if Chris Neil or Andrew Shaw tries to take liberties one of Toronto’s future stars?
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