NHL doesnt care about its players. As long as fans come to the games and spend their money, they'll be happy. Everything else comes secondary. Its sad.
The scariest thing is that CTE develops from SUB concussive level impacts. Years of playing contact sports, even without experiencing a single concussion, puts a person at an extremely elevated risk of developing CTE.
STAGE FIGHTING IS THE ISSUE HERE FOLKS. The goon/enforcer role has been pretty much eliminated which is the best thing the NHL has ever done. That being said, fighting will always have a place in the game. The players police the game. I have only been in 1 fight on the ice and I was terrified/excited. I couldn’t imagine doing that 20-25 Times a year.
Bs. The cheap shots have gone up because of it. Crosby wouldn't have taken that shot to the head and many other cheap shots if enforcers were still part of the game. They kept the greats from being brutally injured.
Hey ignoramus, the main players who having brain issues are the enforcers. What does that tell you? Punch yourself in a jaw really hard and tell me how you feel.
I love hockey and have been playing since I was 4 (i'm 16) and I agree that fighting is tragic and causes alot of mediocre pain and suffering but the thing is fighting is a part of hockey stuff like this just has to be looked at in a perspective on smarter fighting or just...idk how to put this AT ALL but I just think taking fighting from hockey is like taking diving from soccer or whatever its just part of the game
I am not a die hard hockey fan but I do follow it. I noticed a difference in the game. There’s less hitting and maybe less fighting. Maybe I am wrong but that’s better for these players. Maybe less will suffer from cte.
Played hockey all my life ,I've had 4 concussions ,and I'm 45 it's not the fighting it's the punishment.but it's the hits legal /not legal that caused my concussions......
Ditto. I had 6 in 10 years from hits. The last scared me enough to stop playing competitively every week. I lost peripheral vision in my right eye for 2 weeks, I was nauseous for 2 weeks, and my focus at work was non-existent, kept making errors. I took 2 months off until the headaches went away. I had gone to the ER when the symptoms persisted for 2 weeks and they verbally told me I had a concussion. Yeah no shit, and thanks for the $3,000 bill!!! No cat scan, MRI, nothing....they told me they didn't want to expose me to the cancer causing xrays and magnetic imaging. I think maybe they thought I was bullshitting them living in the desert and playing hockey. Every time I fall and my head snaps back, instant headache. I've had teammates in pickup hockey tap me on the helmet and it feels like things are floating around in my head. I watched that movie Concussion about the NFL players and it's so sad to think our sports role models are living such a dark, depressing life outside of the arena and stadiums. My heart goes out to them.
Didn't see Neal's hit either, I'm only watching one series at a time. If it wasn't plainly obvious, I was watching someone else, thought it was just a misspelling of Chris Neil (that NYR fans were bawling about for a clean hit on Boyle).
Getting hit into the boards does more damage than hockey fights. Its the constant acceleration and sudden stop of the brain that causes the damage. There is way more impact getting boarded than punched.
They tried scaling back fighting drastically in the '90s and all it did was get players to resort to using their twigs as weapons. I agree that fighting is going the way of the dodo bird, but like the dodo bird, it's going to take time. If you ban fighting right now, you'll revert back to swinging sticks and look where that got Donald Brashear and Marty McSorely.
+peanut4745 I think it's you don't not him. I'm too lazy to waste my time making another explanation as to why it should be out, but here is me reason as to why we don;t need enforcers. "
+peanut4745 "Hockey is just such a physical game with the type of penalties you can see, or the hits that they get on the boards, or even the agitators of hockey. I don't think there is supposed to be a set category for hockey players to be an enforcer. I think the people that fight still need to play hockey. Take a player like Mike Fisher. He doesn't fight for fun, he steps up for his teammates. That to me is the only reason for fighting." If you don't understand that then fuck you.
without fighting players would stoop to other levels on getting the message across to the opposing team so for everybody saying fighting is stupid just imagine what else a enforcer can do
@Fab Elger "..It was an ACCIDENTAL overdose NOT a suicide..." He was an addict that relapsed. Addicted to pain killers he received for the injuries incurred from fighting. And there's lot's of former enforcers, that if they had known about the consequences of their role in game would have choose a another line of work. A posthumous examination of his brain found he had suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy. The rest of you comment is gibberish.
JMO: I suspect if you look into these guys' pasts you'll find a history of depression/etc. Making the sole reason they each died was because they were enforcers is tenuous at best. The concussions won't help at all, and neither will drugs. Once it gets to that point, it should be a personal decision whether to quit or stay.
I'm 100% Canadian & lifelong hockey fanatic, and I say to the granpas - fighting has to go. This stupid & dangerous practice tarnishes the most beautiful game on the planet. NHL needs to adopt International Hockey rules: you fight = you're OUT. There was no fighting in Sotchi, and the games as exciting as in the NHL.
I would put money down that the vast majority of concussions in the NHL come not from fights, but from bodychecks, both legal and illegal. Over the past 30 years, players have gotten exponentially bigger, faster and stronger and the ice surface has remained the same size. Do the math. Fighting is the easy boogeyman to blame but it's not the right one.
Malkin, maybe, I haven't seen the hit earlier this week... Neil's check on Boyle was solid though, had Boyle kept his head up that check would never have happened. If an enforcer wants to deal with someone, they can. Finesse players don't usually need to resort to fighting/dirty hits, when they do though, they're not a finesse player.
My first concussion was related to a hockey incident I got hit from behind and hit my head on the ice I had my helmet on that ended my hockey than the other five or six concussions that I had were all due to my own stupidity now I sit here and I get headaches I’m on pills for depression anxiety mood swings I think altogether I’ve probably had five or six concussions maybe six maybe seven all due to the fact that my head hit the ground so you don’t necessarily have to be a hockey player to suffer a number of concussions I just lost my dad November 1, 2021 my mother passed away 2006 my marriage fell apart and I still suffer I sit and do a lot of thinking as to why I feel this way back when I was 16 the doctor put me on Champak‘s to quit smoking and I had a chemical in balance to my brain now I am on pills for the rest of my life I asked the doctor how long do I have to be on these pills for he told me for the rest of my life I tried committing suicide here just after my father passed away by drinking and taking pills it did not work I guess the good Lord has other plans for me here on earth so I sit here ruminating as to why I feel this way thank you for listening D Zora
all these fighters from the NHL talking about getting it taken out of the game...they do realize if that happened they would never have played in the pro's right?
I bet it would soon stop if hefty fines plus a ban from the nhl for x amount of years or maybe a prison sentence for the owners for letting it continue
I agree fights in some ways, for an example payback for a dirty hit. In my opinion it's much better way to settle the score than to get revenge by giving a dirty hit back. But these fights that has nothing to do with the game and are just for entertainment, I don't agree
Fighting in hockey will never be takin out it has been there since the start of the NHL, it is ashame that 3 inforcers lost their lives, but taking fighting out wont do anything about it .
They have should have given more air time to the other side of this issue. After some years watching hockey, I've come to a conclusion closer to this piece's message, but there should have been arguments presented against it, and I don't think that it was adequately dealt with in this film.
No, that's not right. Enforcers have a dual role, one is to spark up the team and the crowd... the other is to keep the other team from taking liberties with their stars. Look in the KHL, Swedish league... TONS of dirty hits, sketchy plays etc. NHL has that, but if you know that there will be direct retribution, you don't go after the other guy's head so readily. I don't like seeing guys beating on each other for no reason, but we can deal with goons like that, and have been.
Whiplash is the main cause in these concussion symptoms. And most of these guys would’ve never played in the NHL with limited skills. And big George is now training Rempe....I little hypocritical
It is an integral part in my opinion, I see the argument for against however. But I believe it needs to stay, it's a sport like no other, and believe me I've played other contact, very physical, sports. It's a game on ice that's played flat out all the time, with no where for the puck or players to escape easily. I believe that the ability to defend your team is very important. If a guy goes for your scorers or young players he better be prepared to pay the price. I have only respect for the fighters, I'm not one and can't imagine what they feel but I am appreciative of what they do. I prefer to see good goals and plays over fights but I understand why they are there, perhaps regulations need to come in some way but I think it should stay. Just my opinion, I won't judge if you disagree.
No different from any professional athletes who participate in contact sports what about pitchers who throw their damn arms out who also are addicted to painkillers
This video really pisses me off. Fighting isn't going anywhere. This lady's son died because his helmet came off when he was in a mix up with some other player and his head smacked the ice. Now it's because they were "fighting"... give me a break. This reporter has no idea what the game of hockey truly is. Nor do they understand why fighting is allowed in hockey.... Go watch a game and open up a book.
I LOVE hockey. I HATE the shame of fighting in it. It's hypocrisy and thuggery. GET. IT.OUT. Thank goodness the NFL throws you out of the game, fines you, and probably suspends you for what they allow in hockey. Wannabes think it somehow makes them tough -- the FANS, I mean.
***** BIG difference, and notice it is the hockey players whose job it was to fight who are having the most problems with concussions and their aftermath. Of course there is always going to be some risk -- I think everyone knows and agrees on that.
***** Really disagree with your points (every one, believe it or not), but am about to fall asleep and am too tired to address them one by one. I do wish you the best, though, and at least we agree on hockey being a great sport -- just not on what would make it even better. Take care.
Mark Logic Dude, you need to change your username. I know if I supplied the list of excellent students and longtime enthusiasts of the game (who know 100X more than you) that also take the POV I do you would only squirm and come up with some excuse. Good luck with that misplaced manhood-by-proxy thing, and too bad NFL'ers are so soft, eh?
I was addicted to benzos for about 13 years... Now I moved to Ukraine. There are no drugs available. Now I am clean. But "clean" does not mean, that you are functioning.... I just didn't want it to become "14 Years"....
also for the mom at the end i know its sad but body checks have killed people does that mean we should take out all hitting? travis roy turned the wrong waytrying to make a check in his first shift for Boston U. and was paralyzed, should we take the boards out? i think grant fuhr or some goalie was cut badly in the throat by a skate blade, should that be eliminated from the game? no were left with girls field hockey
Nobody is forcing these guys to fight. If you didn't have the talent to be a productive player then walk away. We're all responsible for our own actions.
I think the NHL should change the role of Enforcer. Enforcer's should just hit people not drop the gloves that often to prevent concussions. You can't take fighting away that's 100% sure but you can try and reduce it a bit.
its not the enforcers, what about Savard, Horton, Bergeron, Crosby, Toews, Sedin, Giroux and all the others we dont know about. theres been guys who've dropped the gloves 10x as much as vandenboush and belak. the fact is one punch, 1 check or 1 collision can give you a concussion. but look at the last few years who missed more games fighters or skilled players who got hit dirty? Marc Savard is having memory problems and migraines and fighting has nothing 2 do with it. leave fighting in the game
I've never been able to understand why there's fighting in hockey. It's a sport where people hit a glorified coin with a 2D golf stick - what has fighting got to do with it all.
+Smoke Hockey is just suck a physical game with the type of penalties you can see, or the hits that they get on the boards, or even the agitators of hockey. I don't think there is supposed to be a set category for hockey players to be an enforcer. I think the people that fight still need to play hockey. Take a player like Mike Fisher. He doesn't fight for fun, he steps up for his teammates. That to me is the only reason for fighting.
No one forces these guys to fight. If they aren't talented enough to play a more skilled role on their teams, they resort to fighting to maintain a roster spot. Either play at a lower professional level where the competition isn't as strong, or learn the skills required to transition your career to something else. The NHL doesn't need to have fights to be successful. I wouldn't mind having fighting banned (as well as these head-hunting hitters out there), but guys like this would be out of jobs.
hockey will always be a backwater sport of irrelevancy on the world stage untill their fans can get with the times. If Laraque says theres a problem, your opinion is irrelevant -Canadian hockey fan for 20 years
Non fighting comments coming from non players. European leagues have way worse head shots n high sticks. This is biased. Only 5% concussion come from Fighting. Most from whiplash hits
I think 1 death is TOO much let alone at least 3 that's crazy. I mean im a hockey player and I think fighting should be gone or at least if the refs see someone is getting really beaten brake it up like for one a was at a flyers game Zach rinaldo beat someone the guy got knocked out that really bad considering the could lead to a death
fighting is in hockey, deal with it. yes this is tragic, no one is denying that. but to eliminate fighting from hockey because of a few odd case seems ridiculous. at the very most there should be more medical attention given to players
Let's explore Radko Gudas's opinion of who "The people who want to take fighting out of hockey are....." Since he's about as intelligent as a single celled paramecium, this shouldn't be difficult. I hope the paramecium isn't offended. ~Women~ Make that Mothers as well. Most women are nurturing, loving and will make incredible sacrifices for their children. Men are as well but, until you've carried a baby under your heart for 9 months, you'll probably never know how deep the capacity for love is. Even you had a mother. Women will always prefer skill and intelligence over "Duh, I just slam' em into the boards or beat their face in." We also prefer good looks, another department in which you have unfortunately been short changed. Some men can rock a beard like Hendrix rocks a guitar. You are not one of them. Not only are you stupid, you're ugly. Ugly can be fixed, stupid is forever. ~Not Hockey Fans~ If they're not a hockey fan, why would they care about fighting? ~New Age Hockey Fans~ Fans today have more hockey savvy than in the past. Whether you like it or not, the game is evolving into the "sport" of hockey in which "skill" is the name of the game. The game is extremely intricate and to be a great hockey player you must have "hockey sense." Where is the puck? Where are your teammates and the opposing players? Who's on offense or defense? Where are each of them on the ice? Who is open? Where is someone going, or likely to go? What play is being set up? In other words...just exactly what are you going to do to get the puck in the net? The list of skills needed to be a "hockey savant" is endless. Just in case you don't know what a "savant" is, it's someone who demonstrates profound and prodigious capacities or abilities far in excess of what would be considered normal. Usually a savant is a person with a developmental disability, such as an autism spectrum disorder, but the term "savant" has often been used to refer to someone who is exceptionally gifted at something. Thus, Gretzky, Crosby, Ovechkin, Toews, Kane, etc. could be referred to as "hockey savants." If you're still stuck in the bench clearing brawl era, watch TH-cam. There are plenty of knuckle busting, bloody, cheap shot good old days there. ~XXXXXXX~ Once again, you have proved you are still wallowing in the shallow end of the gene pool. Intelligence is not your strong point. ~People who are too soft to play hockey~ Players today are too smart to play stupid hockey. CTE or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is a progressive, degenerative disease found in people who have had a severe blow or repeated blows to the head. CTE has been most commonly found in professional athletes participating in American football, rugby, ice hockey, boxing, professional wrestling, stunt performing, bull riding, rodeo, and other contact sports who have experienced repeated concussions or other brain trauma. Stop banging your head against the boards and it might not be too late for you. ~The moral of the story is~ Never argue with an idiot, you will lose every time! Gudas is proof of that. His IQ, at best, is in the double digits. By the time he gets done playing hockey he'll be sitting alone in some dumpy apartment or hotel, addicted to pain killers, booze and wondering why he can't put a two word sentence together. I hope he still has his mother, he's going to need her.
We can change this entirely - check out our Facebook page for Thermopraxis Fundraising Campaign. If people wake up and realize there is an emergency device that will prevent the dire consequences of a concussion, needless deaths and life-long mental problems can b averted.
Skates Have Killed some Hockey players Are you telling me to Remove Skates? How About Hits, Remove HIts? I Think You Shouldn't Be Able To Hit People In The head IMO
Hockey is not boxing. We are not barbarians. Get rid of the fighting. Get rid of the hard hits that cause concussions. These guys are sons and father and husbands. They don't know the risks they're taking. They're young and strong and don't think it'll happen to them. We have to protect them and not be entertained by their pain and misery.
Fighting maybe I can understand y it should be removed but hitting can never removed its something that is apart of the defensive side of the game and helps energize a losing team. I am a player and I am well aware that I can be hurt at any point when playing. We all step on that ice knowing full well that we are taking a risk of an injury but it's what we love to do. It's like ur saying u should make the nfl become a two-hand touch league instead of a collision sport.
totally nuts! I'm going to listen some redheaded broad lecture on oh fighting is bad?! BS! Crosby got nailed because there are no consequences for running stars; start a fight its 5-2-10...more head injuries are from hitting...they've taken hitting out of minor hockey; kids don't skate with their heads up, and cant take contact...weak. Hockey is an aggressive sport. Its all these non-hockey playing Pablum puking mostly women ruining our game. Just stop!
I spent 11 years beating the shit out of people for a paycheque. No the nhl has nothing to offer me so I’ll blame them for my part in the league. Didn’t wanna do it either get better at the game or get a desk job
Concussions arent related to fighting, the game itself is the reason. The checks, the collisions, the whatevers. Figjting doesnt help, but it's only a small percentage of the problem. The problem is the speed of the game, the contact and the equipment. Watch "Ice Guardians" and they're right. We blame fighting, without realizing what the actual problem is. But we all blame fighting.
In life, everything has risks, Hockey is no exception. I am sure the players knew that when they started playing the game. Cutting out fighting will just force players to stuff their emotions to only have them explode and cause even more problems. In other words, LEAVE THE DAMN GAME ALONE!!! Stop trying to sissify the game. That's including football and soccer.
And yet UFC and boxing exists ...this is part of the sport weather you like it or not. Players know the risks, but they fight anyway. We're lucky players even wear helmets and we have rules against beating the shit out of each other with sticks unlike the early days of hockey. I'd say its come a long way, and I don't see how fighting is any different from UFC or boxing. part of the game
Fighting isn't a game. It is very serious. People pretend that violence is fun and games until somebody dies. Combat Sports is the science of fighting for the enthusiast and violence sold to the average consumer as entertainment. Fighting is deadly serious. Sports league like the NHL are deniers of what is evident so they can make more money. As long as it helps to make money, allow it to be part of the game, look the other way. With fighting as a career, you must acknowledge the Grim Reaper lives in your neighborhood and might decide to pay a visit. In case of you didn't get it, they're called "COMBAT" sports for a reason. Inflicting harm on the opponent is the rule, death and disability are not too faraway.
Lady you lost your son and for that I am sorry. Up until that point you enjoyed all of the benefits associated with your son being an athlete and playing hockey. A single death, however tragic, is not an epidemic and should not be treated as such. Common sense must factor into the equation at some point. Your loss is unimaginable but you owe it to yourself and your family to concentrate on the good things and not the isolated issue.
So sick of the players whining about CTE, their own ambition got them in the situation, they knew it was dangerous, but did it anyway. its an attempt to gain money and benefits. Accept personal responsibility.
The fighting has to be there. It has to, it's part of the game. But the enforcers need to be supported and they need to know what they are getting in to.
NHL doesnt care about its players. As long as fans come to the games and spend their money, they'll be happy. Everything else comes secondary. Its sad.
The scariest thing is that CTE develops from SUB concussive level impacts. Years of playing contact sports, even without experiencing a single concussion, puts a person at an extremely elevated risk of developing CTE.
Love the interviewer you can see the compassion on her face .
I don't think she is displaying compassion, she is "digging" for a story and looking to bring out the negativity.....
Georges Laraque will never be forgotten in AIK from Sweden. You are a legend here too Georgie!
His mentally and overall out look now. Is awesome as hell. Glad he is doing good.
STAGE FIGHTING IS THE ISSUE HERE FOLKS. The goon/enforcer role has been pretty much eliminated which is the best thing the NHL has ever done. That being said, fighting will always have a place in the game. The players police the game. I have only been in 1 fight on the ice and I was terrified/excited. I couldn’t imagine doing that 20-25 Times a year.
Bs. The cheap shots have gone up because of it. Crosby wouldn't have taken that shot to the head and many other cheap shots if enforcers were still part of the game. They kept the greats from being brutally injured.
The vast majority of concussions in the nhl come from hits not fights
Johnny Tsunami so then maybe they should ban UFC then? I'm assuming you've never played hockey in your life.
Hey ignoramus, the main players who having brain issues are the enforcers. What does that tell you? Punch yourself in a jaw really hard and tell me how you feel.
No it's not
yep. nutrition zones. I have tbi
it's the invisible suffering
I read that in the Chicago Sun Times that concussions come from hits and not fighting
These nhl players sound like Chris Benoit from WWE.. Head Injurys cause suicidal, depression, and rage.
He also was heavyyyy gear user
CTE is possible
Boogeyman, oh boogeyman. I miss you man. I hated it when my team played against you, but you always put on a show. Much respect.
I love hockey and have been playing since I was 4 (i'm 16) and I agree that fighting is tragic and causes alot of mediocre pain and suffering but the thing is fighting is a part of hockey stuff like this just has to be looked at in a perspective on smarter fighting or just...idk how to put this AT ALL but I just think taking fighting from hockey is like taking diving from soccer or whatever its just part of the game
I am not a die hard hockey fan but I do follow it. I noticed a difference in the game. There’s less hitting and maybe less fighting. Maybe I am wrong but that’s better for these players. Maybe less will suffer from cte.
Let's get bettman on the ice against each teams enforcer for a whole season and see how his brain end up.
Played hockey all my life ,I've had 4 concussions ,and I'm 45 it's not the fighting it's the punishment.but it's the hits legal /not legal that caused my concussions......
Ditto. I had 6 in 10 years from hits. The last scared me enough to stop playing competitively every week. I lost peripheral vision in my right eye for 2 weeks, I was nauseous for 2 weeks, and my focus at work was non-existent, kept making errors. I took 2 months off until the headaches went away. I had gone to the ER when the symptoms persisted for 2 weeks and they verbally told me I had a concussion. Yeah no shit, and thanks for the $3,000 bill!!! No cat scan, MRI, nothing....they told me they didn't want to expose me to the cancer causing xrays and magnetic imaging. I think maybe they thought I was bullshitting them living in the desert and playing hockey. Every time I fall and my head snaps back, instant headache. I've had teammates in pickup hockey tap me on the helmet and it feels like things are floating around in my head.
I watched that movie Concussion about the NFL players and it's so sad to think our sports role models are living such a dark, depressing life outside of the arena and stadiums. My heart goes out to them.
I’ve had 6 in 2 years. 4 from hockey all hits
MRI and CT scan won't find your concussion. You have brain damage guy, congratulations. There is no cure for you. You have it for life.
Have you committed suicide due to your concussions? Nope. The men who've committed suicide were primarily enforcers. Enough said.
Didn't see Neal's hit either, I'm only watching one series at a time.
If it wasn't plainly obvious, I was watching someone else, thought it was just a misspelling of Chris Neil (that NYR fans were bawling about for a clean hit on Boyle).
Getting hit into the boards does more damage than hockey fights. Its the constant acceleration and sudden stop of the brain that causes the damage. There is way more impact getting boarded than punched.
They tried scaling back fighting drastically in the '90s and all it did was get players to resort to using their twigs as weapons. I agree that fighting is going the way of the dodo bird, but like the dodo bird, it's going to take time. If you ban fighting right now, you'll revert back to swinging sticks and look where that got Donald Brashear and Marty McSorely.
Concussions and suicide, you're not tough anymore. That's where I draw the line. Fighting has to go.
Fuck u, u don't know real hockey
+peanut4745 I think it's you don't not him. I'm too lazy to waste my time making another explanation as to why it should be out, but here is me reason as to why we don;t need enforcers.
"
+peanut4745 "Hockey is just such a physical game with the type of penalties you can see, or the hits that they get on the boards, or even the agitators of hockey. I don't think there is supposed to be a set category for hockey players to be an enforcer. I think the people that fight still need to play hockey. Take a player like Mike Fisher. He doesn't fight for fun, he steps up for his teammates. That to me is the only reason for fighting." If you don't understand that then fuck you.
without fighting players would stoop to other levels on getting the message across to the opposing team so for everybody saying fighting is stupid just imagine what else a enforcer can do
@Fab Elger "..It was an ACCIDENTAL overdose NOT a suicide..." He was an addict that relapsed. Addicted to pain killers he received for the injuries incurred from fighting. And there's lot's of former enforcers, that if they had known about the consequences of their role in game would have choose a another line of work. A posthumous examination of his brain found he had suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy. The rest of you comment is gibberish.
I want them to start karate kicking.
JMO: I suspect if you look into these guys' pasts you'll find a history of depression/etc. Making the sole reason they each died was because they were enforcers is tenuous at best.
The concussions won't help at all, and neither will drugs. Once it gets to that point, it should be a personal decision whether to quit or stay.
"don't do it" is never going to work. Where there is hockey, there will always be fighting.
I'm 100% Canadian & lifelong hockey fanatic, and I say to the granpas - fighting has to go. This stupid & dangerous practice tarnishes the most beautiful game on the planet. NHL needs to adopt International Hockey rules: you fight = you're OUT. There was no fighting in Sotchi, and the games as exciting as in the NHL.
WRONG.
the mere fact you just said sotchi is as exciting as the nhl proves you your opinion is usless
I would put money down that the vast majority of concussions in the NHL come not from fights, but from bodychecks, both legal and illegal. Over the past 30 years, players have gotten exponentially bigger, faster and stronger and the ice surface has remained the same size. Do the math. Fighting is the easy boogeyman to blame but it's not the right one.
Kypreos was a tomato can, his best move was laying on the ice bleeding.
Seems everyone forgot about John Kordic and what happened to him.
I think you're probably right about that. Guys seem so much faster and bigger than they were 20 years ago.
Malkin, maybe, I haven't seen the hit earlier this week... Neil's check on Boyle was solid though, had Boyle kept his head up that check would never have happened.
If an enforcer wants to deal with someone, they can. Finesse players don't usually need to resort to fighting/dirty hits, when they do though, they're not a finesse player.
If the NHL eliminates fighting, the quality of the game would improve...Mr. Thompson is 100% correct...
My first concussion was related to a hockey incident I got hit from behind and hit my head on the ice I had my helmet on that ended my hockey than the other five or six concussions that I had were all due to my own stupidity now I sit here and I get headaches I’m on pills for depression anxiety mood swings I think altogether I’ve probably had five or six concussions maybe six maybe seven all due to the fact that my head hit the ground so you don’t necessarily have to be a hockey player to suffer a number of concussions I just lost my dad November 1, 2021 my mother passed away 2006 my marriage fell apart and I still suffer I sit and do a lot of thinking as to why I feel this way back when I was 16 the doctor put me on Champak‘s to quit smoking and I had a chemical in balance to my brain now I am on pills for the rest of my life I asked the doctor how long do I have to be on these pills for he told me for the rest of my life I tried committing suicide here just after my father passed away by drinking and taking pills it did not work I guess the good Lord has other plans for me here on earth so I sit here ruminating as to why I feel this way thank you for listening D Zora
I don't think the NHL has been "noncommittal" on the issue of fighting. They very clearly support its inclusion in the game.
2 40 there are kids starving on the streets but this guy making good money has it rough
No other pro sport allows fighting, they get kicked out of the game
@Wilson that was giving
all these fighters from the NHL talking about getting it taken out of the game...they do realize if that happened they would never have played in the pro's right?
if there was more skilled players then we wouldn't need so many enforcers
I bet it would soon stop if hefty fines plus a ban from the nhl for x amount of years or maybe a prison sentence for the owners for letting it continue
It’s not just fighting though it’s hard I love the game and hope to keep playing
I agree fights in some ways, for an example payback for a dirty hit. In my opinion it's much better way to settle the score than to get revenge by giving a dirty hit back. But these fights that has nothing to do with the game and are just for entertainment, I don't agree
That was 12 years ago
Fighting will continue in the NHL not because there is health concern but because there is economic concern.
Fighting in hockey will never be takin out it has been there since the start of the NHL, it is ashame that 3 inforcers lost their lives, but taking fighting out wont do anything about it .
Never say Never.
They have should have given more air time to the other side of this issue. After some years watching hockey, I've come to a conclusion closer to this piece's message, but there should have been arguments presented against it, and I don't think that it was adequately dealt with in this film.
No, that's not right.
Enforcers have a dual role, one is to spark up the team and the crowd... the other is to keep the other team from taking liberties with their stars.
Look in the KHL, Swedish league... TONS of dirty hits, sketchy plays etc. NHL has that, but if you know that there will be direct retribution, you don't go after the other guy's head so readily.
I don't like seeing guys beating on each other for no reason, but we can deal with goons like that, and have been.
don't forget tom cavanagh. not a fighter but he did commit suicide the same year. played for the san jose sharks.
Whiplash is the main cause in these concussion symptoms. And most of these guys would’ve never played in the NHL with limited skills. And big George is now training Rempe....I little hypocritical
It is an integral part in my opinion, I see the argument for against however. But I believe it needs to stay, it's a sport like no other, and believe me I've played other contact, very physical, sports. It's a game on ice that's played flat out all the time, with no where for the puck or players to escape easily. I believe that the ability to defend your team is very important. If a guy goes for your scorers or young players he better be prepared to pay the price. I have only respect for the fighters, I'm not one and can't imagine what they feel but I am appreciative of what they do. I prefer to see good goals and plays over fights but I understand why they are there, perhaps regulations need to come in some way but I think it should stay. Just my opinion, I won't judge if you disagree.
Fighting belongs in Hockey ! If you do not want to fight, play soccer or basketball or golf. hockey IS A MAN'S GAME !
lol fuck that "Macho" bullshit man. that Culture has no place in 2014. Wake up and smell the singularity bro!
Such a Neanderthal comment
Sad but fighting is a part of the game..
3 heavyweight fighters? didnt know Rypien was a heavyweight :D
No different from any professional athletes who participate in contact sports what about pitchers who throw their damn arms out who also are addicted to painkillers
GLOBAL TV PLEASE BRING BACK 16 X 9 !
i dont remembwr this at all, n been a avid nhl follower since 8th grade im 31 soo
This video really pisses me off. Fighting isn't going anywhere. This lady's son died because his helmet came off when he was in a mix up with some other player and his head smacked the ice. Now it's because they were "fighting"... give me a break. This reporter has no idea what the game of hockey truly is. Nor do they understand why fighting is allowed in hockey.... Go watch a game and open up a book.
I LOVE hockey. I HATE the shame of fighting in it. It's hypocrisy and thuggery. GET. IT.OUT. Thank goodness the NFL throws you out of the game, fines you, and probably suspends you for what they allow in hockey.
Wannabes think it somehow makes them tough -- the FANS, I mean.
*****
BIG difference, and notice it is the hockey players whose job it was to fight who are having the most problems with concussions and their aftermath. Of course there is always going to be some risk -- I think everyone knows and agrees on that.
pnutbutrncrackers bitch
*****
Really disagree with your points (every one, believe it or not), but am about to fall asleep and am too tired to address them one by one. I do wish you the best, though, and at least we agree on hockey being a great sport -- just not on what would make it even better. Take care.
Ryeliejewitt
Just a very, very poor comment in several different ways. Seriously. Not worth picking apart point by point.
Mark Logic
Dude, you need to change your username. I know if I supplied the list of excellent students and longtime enthusiasts of the game (who know 100X more than you) that also take the POV I do you would only squirm and come up with some excuse. Good luck with that misplaced manhood-by-proxy thing, and too bad NFL'ers are so soft, eh?
I was addicted to benzos for about 13 years... Now I moved to Ukraine. There are no drugs available. Now I am clean. But "clean" does not mean, that you are functioning.... I just didn't want it to become "14 Years"....
Why did Nick Kyprios work on the panel for the NHL if he was so against them ?
Hypocrites love to get paid just like everybody else .
also for the mom at the end i know its sad but body checks have killed people does that mean we should take out all hitting? travis roy turned the wrong waytrying to make a check in his first shift for Boston U. and was paralyzed, should we take the boards out? i think grant fuhr or some goalie was cut badly in the throat by a skate blade, should that be eliminated from the game? no were left with girls field hockey
Nobody is forcing these guys to fight. If you didn't have the talent to be a productive player then walk away. We're all responsible for our own actions.
I think the NHL should change the role of Enforcer. Enforcer's should just hit people not drop the gloves that often to prevent concussions. You can't take fighting away that's 100% sure but you can try and reduce it a bit.
hitting causes more concussions than fighting lol
Ryan D Funny how fighters are the ones complaining. Hits aren't direct blows to the head. In fact, hitting the head I illegal.
its not the enforcers, what about Savard, Horton, Bergeron, Crosby, Toews, Sedin, Giroux and all the others we dont know about. theres been guys who've dropped the gloves 10x as much as vandenboush and belak. the fact is one punch, 1 check or 1 collision can give you a concussion. but look at the last few years who missed more games fighters or skilled players who got hit dirty? Marc Savard is having memory problems and migraines and fighting has nothing 2 do with it. leave fighting in the game
I've never been able to understand why there's fighting in hockey. It's a sport where people hit a glorified coin with a 2D golf stick - what has fighting got to do with it all.
+Smoke Hockey is just suck a physical game with the type of penalties you can see, or the hits that they get on the boards, or even the agitators of hockey. I don't think there is supposed to be a set category for hockey players to be an enforcer. I think the people that fight still need to play hockey. Take a player like Mike Fisher. He doesn't fight for fun, he steps up for his teammates. That to me is the only reason for fighting.
+ROFL Waffle such*
most concussions are from hits
No one forces these guys to fight. If they aren't talented enough to play a more skilled role on their teams, they resort to fighting to maintain a roster spot. Either play at a lower professional level where the competition isn't as strong, or learn the skills required to transition your career to something else. The NHL doesn't need to have fights to be successful. I wouldn't mind having fighting banned (as well as these head-hunting hitters out there), but guys like this would be out of jobs.
hockey will always be a backwater sport of irrelevancy on the world stage untill their fans can get with the times.
If Laraque says theres a problem, your opinion is irrelevant
-Canadian hockey fan for 20 years
Non fighting comments coming from non players. European leagues have way worse head shots n high sticks. This is biased. Only 5% concussion come from Fighting. Most from whiplash hits
I think 1 death is TOO much let alone at least 3 that's crazy. I mean im a hockey player and I think fighting should be gone or at least if the refs see someone is getting really beaten brake it up like for one a was at a flyers game Zach rinaldo beat someone the guy got knocked out that really bad considering the could lead to a death
fighting is in hockey, deal with it. yes this is tragic, no one is denying that. but to eliminate fighting from hockey because of a few odd case seems ridiculous. at the very most there should be more medical attention given to players
You dont have to fight ffs, if that's the only way to get into the NHL for you, than its no different than someone risking it all to make a million.
If you can't pronounce the names you have no say if fighting shoukd be in or out
Fighting isnt about this, its about protecting crosby
Yes! Lol
nobody forces these guys to fight they singed on for it!
Let's explore Radko Gudas's opinion of who "The people who want to take fighting out of hockey are....." Since he's about as intelligent as a single celled paramecium, this shouldn't be difficult. I hope the paramecium isn't offended.
~Women~
Make that Mothers as well. Most women are nurturing, loving and will make incredible sacrifices for their children. Men are as well but, until you've carried a baby under your heart for 9 months, you'll probably never know how deep the capacity for love is. Even you had a mother. Women will always prefer skill and intelligence over "Duh, I just slam' em into the boards or beat their face in." We also prefer good looks, another department in which you have unfortunately been short changed. Some men can rock a beard like Hendrix rocks a guitar. You are not one of them. Not only are you stupid, you're ugly. Ugly can be fixed, stupid is forever.
~Not Hockey Fans~
If they're not a hockey fan, why would they care about fighting?
~New Age Hockey Fans~
Fans today have more hockey savvy than in the past. Whether you like it or not, the game is evolving into the "sport" of hockey in which "skill" is the name of the game. The game is extremely intricate and to be a great hockey player you must have "hockey sense." Where is the puck? Where are your teammates and the opposing players? Who's on offense or defense? Where are each of them on the ice? Who is open? Where is someone going, or likely to go? What play is being set up? In other words...just exactly what are you going to do to get the puck in the net? The list of skills needed to be a "hockey savant" is endless. Just in case you don't know what a "savant" is, it's someone who demonstrates profound and prodigious capacities or abilities far in excess of what would be considered normal. Usually a savant is a person with a developmental disability, such as an autism spectrum disorder, but the term "savant" has often been used to refer to someone who is exceptionally gifted at something. Thus, Gretzky, Crosby, Ovechkin, Toews, Kane, etc. could be referred to as "hockey savants." If you're still stuck in the bench clearing brawl era, watch TH-cam. There are plenty of knuckle busting, bloody, cheap shot good old days there.
~XXXXXXX~
Once again, you have proved you are still wallowing in the shallow end of the gene pool. Intelligence is not your strong point.
~People who are too soft to play hockey~
Players today are too smart to play stupid hockey. CTE or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is a progressive, degenerative disease found in people who have had a severe blow or repeated blows to the head. CTE has been most commonly found in professional athletes participating in American football, rugby, ice hockey, boxing, professional wrestling, stunt performing, bull riding, rodeo, and other contact sports who have experienced repeated concussions or other brain trauma. Stop banging your head against the boards and it might not be too late for you.
~The moral of the story is~
Never argue with an idiot, you will lose every time! Gudas is proof of that. His IQ, at best, is in the double digits. By the time he gets done playing hockey he'll be sitting alone in some dumpy apartment or hotel, addicted to pain killers, booze and wondering why he can't put a two word sentence together. I hope he still has his mother, he's going to need her.
MontegueWizard You do realize that nobody gives a shit about what you have to say except for you
We can change this entirely - check out our Facebook page for Thermopraxis Fundraising Campaign. If people wake up and realize there is an emergency device that will prevent the dire consequences of a concussion, needless deaths and life-long mental problems can b averted.
fighting is not mandatory don't blame a business or a game for making a stupid choice
holy putting words into laraque's mouth
I don't get it. How did a player put there to drop their sticks and fight another one EVER become part of a game except boxing? Hockey is ridiculous.
You suck go play it, go watch it. And come back and comment
yes thats true but people like malkin and neal can do what they want, no enforcer can stop them.
Fighting will always be part of the game
Ken Bone oh so your basically saying getting concussions fighting getting your last game at a early age is all apart of the game
Clorox Bleach no different from football or soccer soccer players suffer concussions from hits
This lady is a joke, the enforcerbis there to protect their teammates
I hate typing on an eye pad. I give up
Hello there!!!
Skates Have Killed some Hockey players
Are you telling me to Remove Skates?
How About Hits, Remove HIts?
I Think You Shouldn't Be Able To Hit People In The head
IMO
Hockey is exciting without fighting. Get rid of it.
Not to have no sympathy you can't take fighting from hockey It's part of the sport that said increasing penalty an concussion protocol would help alot
GET RID OF FIGHTING
You are either born to play in the NHL or your not not everyone that watches and grows up playing hockey is fit to play in the NHL
Link...CTE.
It would help if she pronounced the names right
Hockey is not boxing. We are not barbarians. Get rid of the fighting. Get rid of the hard hits that cause concussions. These guys are sons and father and husbands. They don't know the risks they're taking. They're young and strong and don't think it'll happen to them. We have to protect them and not be entertained by their pain and misery.
Fighting maybe I can understand y it should be removed but hitting can never removed its something that is apart of the defensive side of the game and helps energize a losing team. I am a player and I am well aware that I can be hurt at any point when playing. We all step on that ice knowing full well that we are taking a risk of an injury but it's what we love to do. It's like ur saying u should make the nfl become a two-hand touch league instead of a collision sport.
Dude no, it's a release valve. A momentum changer and way to police dirty play when refs wont
Do you watch hockey on Shabbos?
totally nuts! I'm going to listen some redheaded broad lecture on oh fighting is bad?! BS! Crosby got nailed because there are no consequences for running stars; start a fight its 5-2-10...more head injuries are from hitting...they've taken hitting out of minor hockey; kids don't skate with their heads up, and cant take contact...weak. Hockey is an aggressive sport. Its all these non-hockey playing Pablum puking mostly women ruining our game. Just stop!
I spent 11 years beating the shit out of people for a paycheque. No the nhl has nothing to offer me so I’ll blame them for my part in the league. Didn’t wanna do it either get better at the game or get a desk job
Screwed up. Sorry. UFC g
Concussions arent related to fighting, the game itself is the reason. The checks, the collisions, the whatevers. Figjting doesnt help, but it's only a small percentage of the problem. The problem is the speed of the game, the contact and the equipment.
Watch "Ice Guardians" and they're right. We blame fighting, without realizing what the actual problem is. But we all blame fighting.
But people moan about it but they still buy tickets so if you’re buying a ticket how can you moan
Damn This is Harsh
If they don't want to fight then they should just stop playing and let someone else do it
They can't, they fight to play
Thank you!
Mike McGuinness then they ain't good at their job then.
In life, everything has risks, Hockey is no exception. I am sure the players knew that when they started playing the game. Cutting out fighting will just force players to stuff their emotions to only have them explode and cause even more problems. In other words, LEAVE THE DAMN GAME ALONE!!! Stop trying to sissify the game. That's including football and soccer.
Yes but enforcers don't fight to let out emotions
And yet UFC and boxing exists ...this is part of the sport weather you like it or not. Players know the risks, but they fight anyway. We're lucky players even wear helmets and we have rules against beating the shit out of each other with sticks unlike the early days of hockey. I'd say its come a long way, and I don't see how fighting is any different from UFC or boxing. part of the game
Fighting isn't a game. It is very serious. People pretend that violence is fun and games until somebody dies. Combat Sports is the science of fighting for the enthusiast and violence sold to the average consumer as entertainment. Fighting is deadly serious. Sports league like the NHL are deniers of what is evident so they can make more money. As long as it helps to make money, allow it to be part of the game, look the other way. With fighting as a career, you must acknowledge the Grim Reaper lives in your neighborhood and might decide to pay a visit. In case of you didn't get it, they're called "COMBAT" sports for a reason. Inflicting harm on the opponent is the rule, death and disability are not too faraway.
Lady you lost your son and for that I am sorry. Up until that point you enjoyed all of the benefits associated with your son being an athlete and playing hockey. A single death, however tragic, is not an epidemic and should not be treated as such. Common sense must factor into the equation at some point. Your loss is unimaginable but you owe it to yourself and your family to concentrate on the good things and not the isolated issue.
Stop acting like it's the NHL's fault these guys knew the game they grew up playing the game they knew the consequences
So sick of the players whining about CTE, their own ambition got them in the situation, they knew it was dangerous, but did it anyway. its an attempt to gain money and benefits. Accept personal responsibility.
You could choose not to play hockey and make 1/100th of the money, or live life fast and rich.
They have a choice, why feel bad?
The fighting has to be there. It has to, it's part of the game. But the enforcers need to be supported and they need to know what they are getting in to.
Fighting got to go. I will pay to watch hochey executives fight one another though.