All Habs Hockey Magazine is proud to provide a platform for young guest writers to express their views on important issues. Today, we present the first of a three-part series on fighting in hockey. Your comments are welcome.
Sean Perrun was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He has been a Jets fan and a Canadiens fan for as long as he can remember. Some of his fondest memories are of his dad taking him down to the old Winnipeg Arena for Jets games. He was just ten years old when the team packed up for Phoenix, but he still donated his life savings, a whopping $10, to the ‘Save the Jets’ campaign. When the Jets left, he felt that they took a part of the soul of Winnipeg with them, leaving a void in the city that could only be filled with their return. Now that they are back, Sean tries to take in as many games as possible, and to be part of the great atmosphere at MTS Centre.
Part 1: Cheap-shots and the violence of the NHL
By Sean Perrun, Special to All Habs Hockey Magazine
WINNIPEG, MB. — Fighting in hockey is a topic that will get the blood boiling no matter what side of the fence one resides on. Everyone involved in hockey from the fans to the players and all in between has likely been tangled in this debate in one way or another. It is a debate that has the potential to heat up in no time, regardless of who is party to the conversation. But what is this debate really about? Some, crusading against fighting in the league, want it banned because of injuries that arise, namely concussions. But how many concussions are actually caused by fighting? Is the number of fight-induced concussions really high enough to merit the total obliteration of fighting by the league? This is arguably the most important question of the entire issue, and one that will be answered.
Others believe that fighting is barbaric, violent and that hockey has evolved past it over the years. And while this argument does hold weight against the mostly fight-free European and IIHF leagues (most would agree that the IIHF boasts a higher calibre of play), does it hold the same weight in North-America where the game is played harder, stronger and rougher?
There is no doubt that when two gladiators drop the gloves on the ice there is a shift of focus in the arena and thousands of fans rise to their feet; the heart pumps adrenaline laden blood throughout the body, and for the fans, they’ve just got their money’s worth in entertainment from the bout. The players are not immune to the adrenaline that flows from the fight either; on or off the ice, they too get a boost and it’s not uncommon for there to be an immediate swing in momentum. These are good for all involved because it keeps players on their toes and it keeps the fans interested.
As of right now, fighting is etched in the way the game is played. And according to former scrapper turned hockey analyst Nick Kypreos, it isn’t going away anytime soon. Kypreos is an avid supporter of fighting in hockey despite the fact that his career was effectively ended by post-concussion symptoms he suffered from smashing his face on the ice after being knocked-out in a fight. His view on why fighting belongs is mirrored by the likes of Don Cherry and many players currently in the NHL, who believe that fighting is essential to reducing the number of cheap-shots that lead to unnecessary injuries. Currently, the threat of having a heavyweight knock a player senseless serves as a reminder to some to keep their sticks on the ice and out of the face of others. Fighting serves as a way for the players to police themselves to a certain point. Obviously, though, there will always be those who take the role of the enforcer too far.
On February 21, 2000, Marty McSorley slashed Donald Brashear in the head, knocking him unconscious. Brashear suffered a seizure and a concussion, and McSorley was suspended indefinitely. Criminally charged and found guilty of assault with a weapon, he would never play in the NHL again*. Dino Ciccarelli was criminally charged for a stick attack against then Maple Leafs rookie Luke Richardson on January 6th, 1988. He was convicted of assault with a weapon, fined $1000 and served a day in jail for his actions*. Todd Bertuzzi is also guilty of a heinous cheap-shot that occurred on March 8th, 2004, when he punched Steve Moore in the back of the head and then proceeded to drive his face into the ice. Bertuzzi was suspended for the rest of the season, including the playoffs, and did not return to the ice until after the 2004-05 lockout year**.
At a glance it would seem as if cheap-shots like these would be eliminated if the league were to make fighting a thing of the past. After all, players like McSorley and Brashear were known as enforcers, and the former was quoted in court as saying that he was trying to hit the latter in the shoulder to bait the fight. Unfortunately, he missed. What is important to keep in mind, though, is that these are isolated incidents and are due to human error wrought in the heat of the moment. Court dockets are plagued with such incidents where a lack of poise and an error in judgement lead to a serious crime on the streets of society. Sometimes it simply boils down to human error, which, no matter how hard we try, will never be eliminated from anything. Supporters of the fights, like Don Cherry, if given the chance will boisterously tell you that without the threat of the enforcer, the game would see more examples of the aforementioned cheap shots, not less.
In the 2011-2012 regular season there were 769 recorded fights in the NHL***. Over the course of the 1230 total games played throughout a season, the 2011-12 season had an average of .625 fights per game. In the 2010-11 season there were 903 recorded fights***. That’s an average of .734 fights per game! Injuries are an unfortunate part of the game. A part that one might think is synonymous with fighting, but the fact is that more injuries occur from legal hits, including open ice body checking, than do from fighting; and it will soon be shown that fighting accounts for but a fraction of the total concussions in NHL.
Check back on Monday for part two where we examine concussions.
Sources:
*Wikipedia — http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marty_McSorley#Assault_incident
*Wikipedia — http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dino_Ciccarelli#Controversy
***http://dropyourgloves.com/fights/LeagueSeason.aspx?League=1&Season=2012
Additional sources from articles and interviews by TSN, CBC, SportsNet, SB Nation/Rawcharge, The Winnipeg Free Press and RBNonline.ca