Big C said:calpoly said:I don't know the extent of fighting in youth hockey these days but when I was playing it did not occur very often. In college hockey fights do happen but not that often. Major junior hockey in Canada (and the Northern part of the US), which still produces many NHL players, is where fighting occurs.Big C said:calpoly said:Having played and referred hockey for many years, including college hockey, I can attest that you really do not want to get in the middle of a fight. The ref watches the fight to assign the penalties and the two linesman will break up the fight when it is safe to do so. If more than one fight is going on how are you going to break it up with only two people? Fighting usually does not last long (it is really tiring) so let the players get it out of their system.Big C said:calpoly said:The ref's don't want to get hit by an errant punch. They let the fight continue until the players tire out before they jump in and separate the players.Big C said:bearister said:
While I actually enjoy sports in which the OBJECTIVE is fighting, they way they just let the hockey players continue to fight like that just drains the sport of credibility, for me. Can you imagine this happening in other sports? With the refs just standing there while guys duke it out, it makes it look like professional wrestling. It's a joke.
I've had hockey fans try and explain it to me, but I don't get it.
I don't think that's the reason. If the penalty were one year suspension for hitting a ref, even with an errant punch, they wouldn't get hit. What kind of fine/penalty will that Wilson guy get? I guarantee you it would be much greater in any other sport (especially seeing the graphic that fighting is business-as-usual for him, i.e. multiple offender).
I admittedly don't "get" hockey, but I'm thinking that the brawls are considered part of the show in the NHL. College hockey is big back East and I'm assuming they don't fight like that.
I see them do that and it just makes me think that the whole thing is a joke (even though I know it's not and is a highly skilled sport). Again, I enjoy boxing, (real) wrestling, martial arts and sometimes MMA, where I know that that's the objective.
Fighting in hockey is less common than it used to be in the NHL. Quite often it is retaliatory from a cheap shot on a star player or goalie.
It is a highly skilled game and watching it on TV does not do it any justice. It is MUCH better live, especially college hockey. One of my favorite rivalries is Cornell vs. Harvard. They hate each other and the games are really exciting when you can attend in person. Cal vs. $tanfurd was also fun to watch at Berkeley Iceland (sorry it is no longer exists).
Why is it that, in other sports, opponents are not allowed to duke it out for awhile because (allegedly) it wouldn't be safe for the refs to break it up?
And, asking out of ignorance, to what extent is fighting allowed in college hockey? Youth hockey?
Hockey is quite different than football, basketball in that contact is more prevalent which leads to heated situations that can lead to fights. Fighting is not ALLOWED (contrary to what you believe) but it does happen. If fighting was allowed then why do they penalize it? The NHL rules could be changed to completely eliminate fighting but the NHL has not taken that step. Having the refs jump into a fight is NOT going to stop fighting. I am not asking you to agree with the rules, just trying to point them out to you. If you don't like the sport, don't watch it...its your choice (I find golf boring with no purpose so I don't watch it).
Maybe if they let fights "happen" in golf we would both watch it more!
John Daly's career might have been much better.
