After a rather lively argument with Jennifer Magery about the
necessity of fighting in hockey, we were asked to switch sides in the debate. She
had to take my position and explain to me why fighting in hockey was useless
and unnecessary, while I had to take hers and argue as to why that would be untrue.
I decided to focus on the three main
reasons I felt fighting was an important part of the game. Here is a summary of
the arguments I gave to her in our conversation.
Fights temporarily stop gameplay
Fights are effective because they momentarily stop the flow of the game and the two combatants can take center stage and duke it out. This makes them so much more effective than a mere hit. The game of hockey is so fast-paced and continuous that hit can be meaningless. Unless you knock the guy out or break his nose, he’s simply going to get back up and re-join the play. Players get hit all of the time in hockey. What way is that to send a message? That is why fighting is the way to go.
Fights are effective because they momentarily stop the flow of the game and the two combatants can take center stage and duke it out. This makes them so much more effective than a mere hit. The game of hockey is so fast-paced and continuous that hit can be meaningless. Unless you knock the guy out or break his nose, he’s simply going to get back up and re-join the play. Players get hit all of the time in hockey. What way is that to send a message? That is why fighting is the way to go.
Fights really do impact the game in a real way
Like it or not, a fight can have a very lasting imprint on the course of a game. You can even argue that a fight is worth almost as much as a goal if it takes place at the right juncture of a game. Seeing a teammate bust up an opponent’s face will liven up the crowd (who absolutely love to witness fights) and inspire your teammates. It heightens the intensity of the game and causes players to check into it both emotionally and psychologically. Think about the effect losing a fight can have on the team against which your playing. Seeing a teammate get their ass handed to them in center ice (nowhere to hide) cannot do much good for a team’s psyche. It can be downright demoralizing.
Like it or not, a fight can have a very lasting imprint on the course of a game. You can even argue that a fight is worth almost as much as a goal if it takes place at the right juncture of a game. Seeing a teammate bust up an opponent’s face will liven up the crowd (who absolutely love to witness fights) and inspire your teammates. It heightens the intensity of the game and causes players to check into it both emotionally and psychologically. Think about the effect losing a fight can have on the team against which your playing. Seeing a teammate get their ass handed to them in center ice (nowhere to hide) cannot do much good for a team’s psyche. It can be downright demoralizing.
Fights keep players honest
Aside from being a huge generator of good ol' momentum, fighting also keeps players honest, making it less likely more players to land cheap and potentially dangerous shots against each other. The idea is simple: you would probably think twice about charley-horsing an opponent or hitting them into the boards from behind if in the back of your head you knew that you could get a black eye or probably loose a tooth or two behind it. Fighting is nothing more than players policing each other. There’s no harm in that.
Aside from being a huge generator of good ol' momentum, fighting also keeps players honest, making it less likely more players to land cheap and potentially dangerous shots against each other. The idea is simple: you would probably think twice about charley-horsing an opponent or hitting them into the boards from behind if in the back of your head you knew that you could get a black eye or probably loose a tooth or two behind it. Fighting is nothing more than players policing each other. There’s no harm in that.
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