I’ve played since I was 3 years old. I started in a hitting league as soon as I possibly could. When I got into high school, I began to fight here and there and I really enjoyed being able to put people in their place when they ran their mouth. It’s good for the fans to see the players out there battling, especially when you’re down in the third at home and looking to capture back momentum on the bench and from the stands.

So, it’s because of this, if you don’t play or haven’t played hockey, STFU. Seriously just STFU and stop trying to change a game that you don’t know about or love. I don’t care if you don’t want to watch it because it’s too violent. There are plenty of other lame things you can watch without you ruining our sport that we dedicate our lives to and go to bed dreaming about. I’m already mad about not being able to skate out icing in my leagues because of concerned parents.

There is no solution to making hockey safe without turning it into something terrible, but it can be made safer. The league needs to hold a mandatory clinic at the beginning of each season to teach players how to hit – set a standard of what’s acceptable and what’s not so they can help clarify whats worthy of disciplinary action. There are a lot of players coming into the league from various backgrounds who are not capable of throwing clean hits and even some veterans who are guilty. Out on the ice, things happen fast. But, this could certainly help put examples in the players head of when they should and shouldn’t throw a hit and how to do so properly when they’re in the heat of the moment.

So yeah, I don’t care about hockey opinions from someone who doesn’t eat, sleep, and breathe hockey. haha

I see the logic in removing but i think the actual consequence would be different than what is expected. Which is usually the case with seemingly simple changes.

Fighting serves no purpose in hockey. It does not police the game, that’s a myth. I have stats and studies on my blog that demonstrate that – http://itsnotpartofthegame.blogspot.ca/2012/02/additional-statistics-on-impact-of.html

Does someone have any statistics on fighting and injuries with and without the instigator rule? The instigator rule often seems like a double-whammy on the team that just got cheap-shotted and line of protection for the guy that’s doing the asshattery.

But these days, with the enforcer position not what it once was, head shots and cheap shots are on the rise. And when there is a fight, its usually in retaliation of a perfectly legal, hard, hit.

Fighting in todays NHL just seems out of place and dated to me now. Bring the red line back in play to slow the game down so enforcers can make a come back and the need for someone like Shanahan will disappear.

Poll: Hardcore fans like fighting, people who dislike hockey don’t — Dog bites man.
Poll 38% of hardcore fans at least “somewhat support” fighting ban — Man bites dog