fightng in hockey is nothing new. you're out there working your az off and it's rough enough as it is. so when some body goes cheap on you, you kinda lose your temper. what I dont like is the "new" fighting, the dancing around and putting up your dukes. that's crap. the real fight is when two guys just go off.

Being Canadian....and therefore having hockey as our religion, it's hard to analyze how a non-Canadian might see the game. Fighting does seem to be a part of the game's structure....a part of the strategy if you will. Most teams have their "enforcers" that protect or make the players "pay", that dole out out too much punishment to a team's star players. It's always been so..... The game is getting, for many old schoolers, too European (sorry Euro's) Dives (like soccer) and stick work are acceptable but fighting is frowned upon. Boring...I hope not. Cheers

This is interesting. I don't know too much about the sport, but I love watching the game especially the fights. I don't fight, I don't even yell. They don't fight like they used to when I was a kid watching it on tv in the 80. What the difference between old schoolers and the europeans?

What Drisump said. In general Europeans are more skill and less toughness/grit. They don't (typically) fight, they (tend to) use their sticks more, and they are less likely to get up after a big hit. I believe the last part is the soccer mentality, where it is necessary to embellish all injuries/hits to ensure an appropriate penalty is called.

Truly Old School? Gordie Howe. No one fought for Gordie Howe, he didn't have a tough guy riding shot-gun, he looked after himself. And he could score.

Next came the enforcer era, big guys that could sort of play, but they were there to fight anyone who hit your star player(s). They are been phased out now, the instigator rule (generally) prevents them from doing their job. Think of the Flyers in the 70's. Or Wayne Gretzky with Semenko on his wing.

Most teams now have one big goon. He plays four minutes per game and there are only one or two payers on the other team he will fight. The 'code' prevents him from picking on the softer smaller guys. Heavyweights only fight heavyweights now. This is the 'staged fight' era. They are on the ice together, the puck drops and one second later they are fighting. To what end? Who knows. But the fans seem to enjoy it.

There are exceptions to all of the above. Peter Forsberg was a pretty tough European, and there are lots of soft skilled North American players.

A very concise analysis of the games evolution! I watch a few games a year.....but work with many true fans. Growing up in Montreal in the 60's and 70's, I was immersed in the game. The game has changed radically, larger ice surface and rule mods have transformed the game from the gritty spectacles back in the day to a more "free wheeling" display, that is to showcase more speed (and arguably, more skill). Still however, when the playoffs begin, the game has a tendency to change and the "grit and toughness" factor becomes a much more important element. Anyway, "diving" is very distasteful to me and goes against everything good ole Gordie Howe would've valued in a team mate (or an opponent for that matter). Cheers

I wanted to watch the UFC flight last night....

....but I was afraid a hockey game would break out!


[rimshot]
-Z

Z- man made a funny. seriously...that was funny!

There are now one-half the number of fights there were 25 years ago.

And fights 'only' occur in 40% of the games.

Similarly, I've always wanted to visit Canada, but I am fearful of getting hit with a hockey puck...

:eek:
-Z

I just have to say....don't visit Europe either, the stick does even more damage, LOL.

Wow "only" 40%, practically the same as chess now.