Hockey Tough

Hockey Tough: Forever and Always

Hockey, by nature, is known as a tough and dangerous sport. It is a game that places grown men on thin pieces of steel chasing a rubber puck across frozen water. As such, the game of hockey is one of the most physically and mentally demanding sports in the world. Hockey is also the only team sport that allows opposing teammates to square off in a physical fighting match within the game. In recent years, however, the allowance of fighting has become a controversial issue. Those who oppose fighting point out that there has been injury and even deaths to hockey players as a result of fights. People who oppose the allowance of fighting within the game also point out that fighting may send messages to young fans

First off all, those who contend that taking fighting out of hockey will make the game much safer are somewhat flawed in their arguments. These people fail to recognize that all players in the sport play by “The Code”: an unwritten set of rules that all players know and respect. Fighting, therefore, is employed as a policing system in the game in order to ensure the code is upheld. Just as the United States’ Government has checks and balances, so too does hockey with respect to fighting. Fighting allows players to take matters into their own hands when games get rowdy and the code is broken. For example, if a player on a team were to “cheap shot” the opposing team’s player, especially a star player, that player would be violating the unwritten “code” of the game. As a result of this violation, a fight would ensue, thereby sending the message that cheap shots and dirty plays will not be tolerated. The idea of fighting having a particular place withing the game of hockey has been vocalized by Gordie Howe, an NHL legend who is the epitome of what defines hockey with 1,071 goals and 2,419 penalty minutes. Howe once stated, “If you get rid of fighting, you are going to get more of the dirty play. Let them

One group of people contends that fighting should be eliminated within the sport as it leads to negative connotations and judgments and too many players are injured as a result of fighting, while proponents claim that fighting has an integral place in the game of hockey, and, in fact, the majority if hockey injuries are not the cause of fights, but instead, hits from behind. It is my personal opinion that fighting has an important place in the game, and that with the absence of fighting, hockey will actually turn into a game that is even more dangerous. It is therefore my contention that taking fighting out of the game would be like taking the Legislative Branch out of the United States Government. With fighting removed from the game of hockey, the sport will see an increase in dirty plays, play which, studies have shown, lead to more traumatic injuries than fighting. Also, the game will move away from what truly makes it hockey and the toughest sport on earth. After one has watched, and been involved in the game long enough, it is clear to see that fighting, however dangerous it may appear, is actually a positive factor of the game. When games get out of hand, or certain players do not abide by the Codes, it is sometimes the case that referees cannot bring order to the game. This is when fighting provides its check on the game, as it brings