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Fighting in ice hockey

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This article is about condoned fighting in ice hockey. For uniformly illegal violent acts, see Violence in ice hockey.
A large fight in an OHL hockey game between the Sudbury Wolves and Ottawa 67s

Fighting in ice hockey is an established aspect of the sport with a long history[1] involving many levels of amateur and professional play and including some notable individual fights. Although the target of criticism, fighting is a considerable draw for the sport and is the primary reason that many fans attend games.[2] Fighting is usually the role of one or more enforcers on a given hockey team,[3] and is governed by a complex system of unwritten rules that players, coaches, officials, and the media refer to as "the code."[4][5] Some fights are spontaneous and some are premeditated by the participants.[6] While officials tolerate fighting during hockey matches, they assess a variety of penalties on players who engage in fights. The National Hockey League (NHL) and most minor professional leagues in North America do not outright eject players for fighting.[6] However, major European and collegiate leagues do.[7] Therefore, the vast majority of hockey fights occur in the NHL and other North American professional leagues.

Physical play in hockey, consisting of legal techniques such as checking and illegal techniques such as elbowing, high sticking, and cross-checking, is inexorably linked to fighting.[8] Physical play[6] and other factors lead to fighting; this concept is articulated and illustrated by the history of fighting, the reasons behind fighting, and the description of the informal rules of fighting that follow. Broadly speaking, fighting exists in organized ice hockey to protect star players, who are generally discouraged by their coaches to fight for fear of injury, to deter opposing players from overly rough play, and to create a sense of solidarity among team mates.[4] Some players have made a name for themselves within the sport by frequently engaging in fights. Historical players include Red Horner, Lou Fontinato, John Ferguson, Dave Schultz, and Tiger Williams; modern day players include Tony Twist, Marty McSorley, Tie Domi, Kelly Chase, Ken Baumgartner, and Bob Probert.[9]

The debate over allowing fighting in ice hockey games has been ongoing for many years, with most players, administrators, and fans favoring legal fisticuffs. Despite its potentially negative consequences, such as heavier enforcers (or "heavyweights") knocking each other out, administrators like Gary Bettman of the NHL are not considering eliminating fighting from the game since most players consider it essential.[10] Additionally, the majority of fans oppose eliminating fights from professional hockey games.[11] However, considerable opposition to fighting and efforts to eliminate fighting continue to exist.

History of fighting

Hockey fights per NHL season
Season # of fights
2006-07 497
2005-06 466
2003-04 789
Source: Hockeyfights.com 2007

Fighting has been a part of ice hockey since hockey's rise in popularity in 19th century Canada.[1] There are a number of theories behind the integration of fighting into the game, the most common of which being that the relative lack of rules in the early history of hockey encouraged physical intimidation and control.[1] The implementation of some features, such as the blue lines in 1918, actually encouraged fighting due to the increased level of physical play. Creation of the blue lines allowed forward passing, but only in the neutral zone. Therefore, puck handlers played in very close quarters and were subject to a great deal of physical play. The emergence of enforcers, who protected the puck handlers and fought when necessary, followed shortly thereafter.[8]

In 1922, the NHL introduced Rule 56 which formally regulated fighting, or "fisticuffs" as it is called in the official NHL rulebook. Rather than ejecting players from the game, as was the practice in amateur and collegiate hockey, players would be given a five-minute major penalty. Rule 56 and its language also filtered down to the minor professional and junior leagues in North America.[8] Promoters such as Tex Rickard of Madison Square Garden, who also promoted boxing events, saw financial opportunities in hockey fights and devised marketing campaigns around the rivalries between various team enforcers.[12]

Most fights per NHL season
Season Player # of fights
2006-07 George Parros 18
2005-06 Brian McGrattan 19
2003-04 Krzysztof Oliwa 31
2002-03 Jody Shelley 27
2002-03 Peter Worrell 33
Source: Hockeyfights.com 2007

Although fighting was more rare from the 1920s through the early 1960s, it was more brutal than it is today. Star players were also known to fight for themselves since fewer professional teams existed and competition was fierce for roster spots. Therefore, enforcers did not typically make professional teams. However, with the NHL expansion in the late 1960s and the emergence of skill players like Wayne Gretzky, enforcers became more common and the number of fights per game rose above 1.0.[5] Many teams signed enforcers such as Dave Semenko, Marty McSorley, and Stu Grimson to protect and fight for smaller offensive players like Gretzky, Paul Kariya, and Teemu Selanne.[13]

Since the 1970s, three rules have curtailed the number and scope of fights in the NHL. In 1977, the league created the "Third Man In" rule which attempts to eliminate the bench-clearing brawl by providing for the ejection of the first player that joins a fight already in progress.[14] Another rule automatically suspends the first player from each team that leaves the bench to join a fight when it is not their shift.[15] As of the 2006-07 season, the "Instigator" rule, which adds an addition two-minute minor penalty to the player who starts a fight,[14] has contributed to the decline of fighting in the NHL to .61 fights per game.[5]

Reasons for fighting

There are many reasons for fights during a hockey game. Some reasons are related to game play, such as retaliation, momentum-building, intimidation, deterrence, attempting to draw "reaction penalties", and protecting star players. There are also some personal reasons such as retribution for past incidents, bad blood between players, and simple job security for enforcers.[16]

Of the many reasons, the foremost is for retaliation.[16] When players engage in play that members of the opposing team consider unscrupulous, a fight can ensue. The fight may be between the assailant and the victim, between the assailant and an enforcer from the victim's team, or between any two opposing enforcers. Fights that occur for retaliation purposes can be in immediate response to an on-ice incident, to incidents from earlier in the game, or to actions from past games.[16] Enforcers who intend to start a fight have to consider their timing due to the Instigator rule. For example, putting the opposing team on a power play due to penalties incurred from fighting is less advisable when the game is close.[17]

Enforcers sometimes start fights to build game momentum and provide a psychological advantage over the opposing team. These fights usually involve two enforcers, but may involve any player who is agitating the opposition.[2] This type of fight raises player morale on the team of the player who wins the fight, and often gets the home crowd into the game as well. For that reason, it can also be a gamble to start a fight for momentum; if an enforcer loses the fight, the momentum can swing the wrong way.[18]

Intimidation is an important element of a hockey game[3] and some enforcers start fights just to intimidate opposing players in hopes that they will refrain from agitating skill players.[19] For example, in the late 1950s, Gordie Howe helped established himself as an enforcer by defeating Lou Fontinato, a notable enforcer who tallied over 1,200 penalty minutes in his career,[20] in a fight. After that incident, he got a lot more space on the ice and was able to score many goals over the span of his career because he intimidated other players.[21] Conversely, games in European professional leagues are known to be more violent than North American games because fighting is discouraged in Europe by ejection and heavy fines. Therefore, the enforcers are less able to intimidate opposing players with fighting.[10]

For teams that face each other frequently, players may fight just to send the message to the opposing players that they will be the target of agitation or aggression in future games.[22] Teams that are losing by a considerable margin often start these fights the end of the game when they have nothing to lose.[23] Enforcers who are less skilled may start fights with more skilled players to draw what is called a "reaction penalty", an undisciplined reaction to aggressive play on the part of the enforcer. This practice is also known to be difficult due to the Instigator rule.[24]

Personal reasons

Many young enforcers need to establish their role early in their career to avoid losing their jobs.[25] Due to the farm systems that most professional hockey leagues use, enforcers who get a chance to play at the level above their current one (for example, an AHL player getting a chance to play in an NHL game) need to show other players, coaches, and fans that they are worthy of the enforcer role on the team.[26]

Another personal reason included is the protection of star players. Over the history of hockey, many enforcers have been signed simply to protect players like Wayne Gretzky, who was protected by Marty McSorley and others, and Brett Hull, who was protected by Kelly Chase and others.[27] The NHL averaged twice as many fights during Gretzky's prime with the Edmonton Oilers than it did during the 1970s.[28]

There are also times when players and even entire teams just dislike each other enough that fights frequently occur for no other reason.[29] An infamous rivalry that produced many fights was between the Detroit Red Wings and the Colorado Avalanche during the 1990s.[30]

Rules and penalties

Fighting is allowed in the National Hockey League, the North American junior leagues, and other North American professional minor leagues, where a five minute major penalty is given. However, fighting is punishable by ejection in the Peewee, College and European leagues, Olympic competition, and in women's hockey at any level.

North American professional leagues

In the National Hockey League, American Hockey League, ECHL, CHL, UHL, and other notable minor leagues, officials punish combatants with five-minute major penalties for fighting (hence the phrase "five for fighting"). A player is automatically ejected and suspended if the player tries to leave the bench to join a fight (known as the "Third Man In" rule), and is also automatically ejected for using weapons of any kind (such as using a skate to kick an opponent, using a stick to hit an opponent, or wrapping tape around one's hands), as they can cause serious injury. A player who receives two instigator penalties in one game is also ejected automatically. Furthermore, his coach can be suspended up to ten games for allowing players to leave the bench to join a fight.[8][15]

Also, a player who commits three major penalties, including fighting, during a game is automatically ejected, suspended, and fined. A player ejected for three major penalties in a game, or for use of weapons, cannot be replaced for five minutes.[8]

In 2003, the ECHL added an ejection, fine, and suspension of an additional game for any player charged as an instigator of a fight during the final five minutes of the third period or any overtime. The NHL and AHL adopted the rule in 2005-06, and add a fine for the coach in the NHL.[15]

European, Collegiate, and Olympic

In Division I & III NCAA hockey, the fighters are given a Game Disqualification, which is an ejection from the game and a suspension for as many games as the player has accrued Game Disqualifications during the course of a season. For example, if a player engages in a fight having already received a Game Disqualification earlier in the season, he is ejected from the game and then suspended for his team's next two games. This automatic suspension has tended to make fighting in college hockey relatively rare.

Fighting is prohibited in Olympic ice hockey[31] and in European professional hockey leagues.[32] The international rules (by IIHF) specify in the rule 528 – Fisticuffs or Roughing[33] the following penalties (among others):

  • Match penalty (the player is ejected from the game and another player serves 5 minutes on the penalty bench) for a player who starts fisticuffs.
  • Minor penalty (2 minutes) for a player who retaliates with a blow or attempted blow.
  • Game misconduct penalty (ejection from the game) in addition to any other penalties for any player who is the first to intervene in a fight which is already in progress.
  • Double minor penalty (4 minutes), major penalty + game misconduct penalty (5 minutes and ejection from the game), or match penalty (at the discretion of the referee) for a player who continues the fighting after being told by the referee or a linesman to stop.
  • Misconduct penalty (cannot play for 10 minutes; the second misconduct penalty in one game means automatic ejection) for a player who intentionally takes off his gloves in a fight.

Criticism of fighting

Criticism of fighting in ice hockey typically arises after acts of violence committed during fights are singled out in the media. For example, on March 21, 2007, Colton Orr of the New York Rangers dropped the gloves with Todd Fedoruk of the Philadelphia Flyers and ended up knocking him unconscious. Fedoruk already had titanium plates in his face from a fight earlier in the season. The incident led to a slew of media reports on violence in professional ice hockey, some of which called for a fighting ban. Some players acknowledge that there is no harm in discussing the issue,[34] however most players and administrators continue to insist that fighting stay as a permanent element of organized ice hockey.[35]

Some league administrators, such as NHL senior vice-president and director of hockey operations Colin Campbell, have been circulating and considering the idea of banning fighting in response to incidents such as the Fedoruk-Orr fight.[36]

Some sports journalists, mostly in Canada, have been articulating the idea with increasing frequency during the 2006-07 NHL season that fighting adds nothing to the sport and should be banned. They cite reasons such as that fighting detracts from sportsmanship,[37] fighting is a "knee-jerk" reaction that takes away from the skill aspect of the game,[38] and fighting is simply a waste of time.[39]

Community members often become involved in the debate over banning fighting. In December 2006, a school board trustee in London, Ontario attended a London Knights game and was shocked by the fighting and by the positive crowd reaction to the fighting. This experience led him to organize an ongoing effort to ban fighting in the Ontario Hockey League, where the Knights compete, by attempting to gain the support of other school boards and write letters to OHL administrators.[31]

Fighting etiquette

There are several informal rules governing fighting in ice hockey that players rarely discuss but that players take quite seriously.[40] The most important aspect of this etiquette is that opposing enforcers must agree to a fight, usually via a verbal or physical exchange on the ice. This agreement helps both players avoid being given an instigator penalty, and helps keep unwilling participants out of fights.[41]

Enforcers typically only fight each other, with only the occasional spontaneous fight breaking out between one or two opponents who don't usually fight.[42] Enforcers spend time researching the techniques and weaknesses of other enforcers, and many carry on long-standing rivalries with each other.[43] There is a high degree of respect among enforcers as well; they will respect an enforcer who is playing with injuries, a frequent occurrence[44], if that enforcer declines a fight. This is also known as granting a "free pass."[45]

Long-standing rivalries result in numerous rematches, especially if one of the enforcers has to decline an invitation to fight during a given game. This is one of the reasons that enforcers may fight at the beginning of a game, when nothing obvious has happened to agitate the opponents.[46] On the other hand, it is bad etiquette to try to initiate a fight with an enforcer who is near the end of his shift, since the more rested enforcer will have an obvious advantage.[47]

Another important aspect of fighting etiquette is simply fighting fairly, cleanly, and gracefully. Fair fighting is maintained by not wearing equipment that could injure the opposing fighter, like face shields or masks[48], not pulling the opposing fighter's jersey over his head, and not assaulting referees or linesmen.[49] Finally, whatever the outcome of the fight, etiquette dictates that enforcers win and lose gracefully. Otherwise, they risk losing the respect of their teammates and fans.[50]

Fighting tactics

Fighting tactics are governed by some actual rules, and enforcers also adopt informal tactics particular to their style and personality.

The rulebooks of the National Hockey League and other professional leagues contain specific rules for fighting, referred to in the rulebooks as fisticuffs. These rules state that at the initiation of a fight, both players must drop their sticks so as not to use them as a weapon. Players must also "drop" or shake off their protective gloves in order to fight bareknuckled, as the hard leather and plastic of hockey gloves would actually worsen the effect of landed blows rather than providing a cushioning effect as boxing gloves do. Players must also heed a referee warning to end a fight once the opponents have been separated. Failure to adhere to any of these rules results in an immediate game misconduct penalty and the possibility of fines and suspension from future games.[14]

One tactic adopted by players is known as "going for it", in which the player puts his head down and just throws as many punches as he can, as fast as he can. In the process, that player takes as many punches as he delivers, although some of them are to the hard forehead. Fighters usually must keep one hand on their opponent's jersey since the ice surface makes maintaining balance very difficult. For this reason, the majority of a hockey fight consists of the players holding on with one hand and punching with the other.[51] Enforcers such as Darren McCarty advocate letting the opposing enforcer get a few punches in before putting in maximum effort, and assert that fighting is as much about knowing how to take a punch as it is about delivering punches.[52]

Other examples include Gordie Howe's tactic of holding the sweater of his opponent right around the armpit of his preferred punching arm so as to impede his movement. Bob Probert of the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks was known to allow his opponents to get in several punches until they showed signs of tiring, at which time he would take over and usually dominate the fight. Some consider Probert to be the reason that hockey jerseys are now equipped with tie-down straps that prevent their removal; he would always remove his jersey during fights so his opponents would have nothing to grab onto.[53]

Notable fights

Some fights have attracted significant media attention due to injuries sustained by one or both participants and other factors.

  • On March 21, 2007, Colton Orr of the New York Rangers knocked Todd Fedoruk of the Philadelphia Flyers unconscious with a punch to the head. The fight led to a large number of news stories and editorials calling for a fighting ban in the NHL.[35][54]
  • A Philadelphia Flyers – Ottawa Senators game on March 5, 2004 resulted in five consecutive brawls in the closing minutes of the game, including fights between many players who are not known as enforcers and a fight between Flyers goalie Robert Esche and Senators goalie Patrick Lalime. The game ended with an NHL record 419 penalty minutes.[55]
  • On March 24, 1997, goalies Patrick Roy of the Colorado Avalanche and Mike Vernon of the Detroit Red Wings fought during a game that was noted for its nine fights, 11 goals, 39 penalties, and 148 penalty minutes.[56]
  • A World Junior Ice Hockey Championships game between Canada and the Soviet Union on January 4, 1987 was the scene of a bench-clearing brawl that lasted 20 minutes and prompted officials to turn off the arena lights in an attempt to stop it. The incident caused the both teams to be ejected from the tournament, costing Canada an assured medal.[57][58]
  • On April 20, 1984, a second-round playoffs matchup between the Quebec Nordiques and the Montreal Canadiens became a team melee at the end of the second period, after many smaller scaled battles had occurred throughout the game. The teams erupted into battle again before the third period began, provoked by the announcement of penalties and misconducts. A total of 250 penalty minutes and 10 game misconducts were handed out. This game prompted referee Bruce Hood to retire from the NHL once the playoffs ended.[59]
  • On May 21, 1978, Pierre Bouchard of the Montreal Canadiens was forced to retire after receiving facial fractures in a fight with Stan Jonathan of the Boston Bruins.[60]
  • Enforcer Dave Hanson, known for his eleven year professional career and role in the movie Slap Shot, fought hall of famer Bobby Hull of the Winnipeg Jets and in the process got Hull's wig caught in his knuckles. The incident landed Hanson in the news, and irate Winnipeg fans attempted to assault him on his way out of the arena.[61]
  • Maurice "Rocket" Richard, the namesake of the NHL Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy, knocked out enforcer Bob Dill twice in one game. Dill had been hired by the New York Rangers specifically to rough up Richard.[62]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c Bernstein 2006, p. 3
  2. ^ a b Bernstein 2006, p. 36
  3. ^ a b Bernstein 2006, p. xix
  4. ^ a b Bernstein 2006, p. xxi
  5. ^ a b c Morrison 2007.
  6. ^ a b c Bernstein 2006, p. 31
  7. ^ NCAA 2004, p. 61
  8. ^ a b c d e Bernstein 2006, p. 4
  9. ^ Allen 1999, p. x
  10. ^ a b McIntyre 2007
  11. ^ Barrie Examiner 2007
  12. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 5
  13. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 33
  14. ^ a b c NHL_Rulebook_56 2007
  15. ^ a b c NHL_Rulebook_72 2007
  16. ^ a b c Bernstein 2006, p. 34
  17. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 35
  18. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 38
  19. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 41
  20. ^ Legends of Hockey 2007
  21. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 42
  22. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 46
  23. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 47
  24. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 48
  25. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 50
  26. ^ Botterill 2004
  27. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 53
  28. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 51
  29. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 55
  30. ^ Dater 2006
  31. ^ a b Rodrigues 2006
  32. ^ Brownlee 2007
  33. ^ IIHF 2006, p. 73
  34. ^ Lebrun 2007
  35. ^ a b Dater 2007
  36. ^ Naylor 2007
  37. ^ Wilson 2007
  38. ^ Jenkinson 2007
  39. ^ Gough 2007
  40. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 56
  41. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 57
  42. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 60
  43. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 61
  44. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 100
  45. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 65
  46. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 69
  47. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 70
  48. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 74
  49. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 73
  50. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 76
  51. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 62
  52. ^ Spence 2003
  53. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 63
  54. ^ Associated Press 2007
  55. ^ Maaddi 2004
  56. ^ Neumann 2007
  57. ^ CBC 1987
  58. ^ Joyce 2006
  59. ^ Lemieux 2003
  60. ^ NHL Digest 2007
  61. ^ Bernstein 2006, p. 77
  62. ^ Fisher 2007

References

Further reading

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