NHL fisticuffs bring out fury

(from USA TODAY feature- Top 10 Things to Change in Sports)
By Kevin Allen, USA TODAY
Fighting is so ingrained in the NHL culture that brothers Keith and Wayne Primeau fought each other in 1996-97.

Their mother wasn't pleased, but the NHL didn't blink because hockey fights have been a staple since the league was founded in 1917. Fighters were called "policemen" in the Original Six years because it was their job to protect the stars. In the 1970s, they began to be called "goons."

Fighters today are "tough guys," and their role is scrutinized more than ever in a debate about whether the sport would be better off if harsher penalties could discourage players from dropping their gloves.

"I don't believe there is a majority" thinking that way," Nashville Predators general manager David Poile says. "But there's a lot."

Those against fighting argue the NHL's tolerance gives the sport a cartoonish quality that prevents it from fully exploring its national potential. The pro-fighting delegation counters that the NHL plays to more than 90% capacity on average and most of the fans like fighting.

In the 2003-04 season, there were about 780 fights in 1,230 NHL games. That's about two fights every three games, roughly the same rate the past seven seasons. In the mid-1980s, the rate was about one fight a game.

Fighting isn't truly legal in the NHL, but it's fair to say it's encouraged. Players are penalized five minutes for fighting, and those who initiate a fight can be given an extra two-minute penalty as "an instigator." But top fighters are respected, and coaches and general managers revere those who can play at a high level and fight.

The rationale for fighting isn't as basic as tempers boiling over, although certainly that plays a role. Strategy is a consideration. It's widely held that Wayne Gretzky was given more room and opportunity to show his brilliance in his early years because opponents were petrified they'd have to face Edmonton Oilers tough guy Dave Semenko if they bothered Gretzky.

When Calgary's Jarome Iginla and Tampa Bay budding star Vincent Lecavalier fought in the Stanley Cup Finals, it was clearly about symbolism. Iginla had established his reputation as a playoff warrior, and it was presumed Lecavalier wanted to show the hockey world he had the same kind of fire.

The anti-fighting camp says the fighter's protector role simply wouldn't be necessary if the NHL enacted and enforced rules to protect stars. They point out that athletes in other sports prove their toughness without having to fight.

The fighting issue often comes to the forefront of talk shows when there are extracurricular violence issues, such as when Todd Bertuzzi attacked Steve Moore from behind in March, breaking vertebrae in his neck. Bertuzzi, who had tried to persuade Moore to fight before the attack, is serving an open-ended suspension. He goes to trial on assault charges Jan. 17.

"Maybe at some point in time (fighting) will be banned," NHL director of hockey operations Colin Campbell says. "But right now, it's part of the game, except to the point where it's penalized."

Some rules have been added that have altered the fighting climate. Starting in 1971-72, the third man to enter a fight was ejected. The league in 1987-88 began handing a 10-game suspension to the first player to leave the bench to enter a fight, effectively eliminating the bench-clearing brawl.

The only significant effort to reduce the number of one-on-one fights came in 1992-93 when the NHL introduced a game misconduct penalty to the instigator. Fighting majors fell by 19% that season and reached their lowest levels in 16 years. The instigator rule was revised in 1996-97 to replace the game misconduct with a 10-minute misconduct.

If the NHL wanted to reduce the number of fights, the easiest method would be to eject players as is done in college and international play. In college hockey, a player also is suspended for the next game.