The Stereotypes Of Fighting In Hockey

A recent topic lately buzzing around the hockey community is that people are trying to have fighting banned completely due to a couple fights having ended with a player hitting his head on the ice from falling but most injuries do not come from fighting, they come from illegal acts of violence. There is no sporting event that brings the crowd to its feet and creates an explosive atmosphere quite like an ice hockey fight does. Ice hockey has always been placed in the category of brutality and unnecessary violence and is associated with the stereotype that hockey players are nothing but “goons” that enjoy seeing their own blood. Fighting in hockey has been known as sanctioned violence because it has been acceptable since the first days of the

Fighting in hockey is a fundamental part of the game for some teams who actually use it as a strategy to change the dynamic of the game. What I am trying to say is that hockey would not be hockey without fighting. There is no doubt that hockey is a fast paced, physical, and aggressive sport. For the people who are not passionate hockey fans who say that hockey players fight each other for fun, that is not true; a fight in hockey has a certain time and place for when it’s considered acceptable by players and coaches. Ken Hammond, Former Ottawa Senators’ goalie described fighting “as a form of control that has a moderating effect on the potentially serious unsanctioned violent acts between players”(Hammond). Unsanctioned or unnecessary acts of violence can be hitting an opponent with a hockey stick or nasty attacks like hitting a player from behind with the intent to injure also known as cheap shots. A player can get a minor two minute penalty for an action that could injure the victim. Two minutes in the penalty box is a small price to pay to get an opposing player out of the game; so where is the justice? Former Ottawa Senators goalie said that “NHL players are aware that fighting being allowed is the best way to protect each other, as it also plays the role of self-policing”(Hammond). For example, an opposing player may try and target a skilled player on your team

In hockey, a fight could help a team regain confidence or give them a momentum boost after giving up a goal or big hit that made a team lose the mentality they had before the drastic event. The fight is used as an attempt to give the team some energy and hopefully lead them to a win as well as make the game more exciting. A hockey team will always have an enforcer or “tough guy” which is a player on the team who will always fight for the star players because they do not want the stars on the team injured. Fighting is a way to show how important it is to protect the star players and goalies on your