NHL Playoffs – Showcasing Violence

The NHL playoffs began with fan anticipation, media hype and some exciting and entertaining hockey.   And then Shane Weber slammed Henrik Zetterberg’s head into the glass.  That incident served as a test of the NHL’s resolve in eliminating head shots from the game.  The judgement they delivered either became a catalyst for the violence that followed, or just another failed opportunity to show they were serious about player safety and respect.

A reflection on a lost brother’s role as a hockey enforcer

On April 7th I posted my thoughts (They Knew What They Were Getting Into) on Sheldon Kenny's article on his brother Lyndon.  His story should be read by all hockey fans so that they understand there is an emotional and physical toll on individuals who fight in hockey.  This story is very similar to those told by other enforcers but did not get as much attention in the media because it involved a junior player.  Therefore to help spread awareness of Lyndon and his struggle with concussions, here is Sheldon's original article reprinted with his permission.

They Knew What They Were Getting Into

On March 22^nd another story was posted about an enforcer who committed suicide.  It didn’t get as much exposure as those about Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien or Wade Belak because it involved a junior player who didn’t make the big leagues.  I wonder how many more potential stories like this are out there - teenagers who chased their dream of playing in the NHL through the role of a fighter.

NHL Responds to Rangers - Devils Brawl

On March 19th the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils started a brawl at the 3 second mark of their game, causing considerable outrage in the press.  It took almost two weeks for the NHL to address this incident, no doubt after considerable internal discussion to ensure that the official response was reasonable and reflected positively on the league.  Concerns for player safety, how the game is marketed to the fans and how to protect the sanctity of the game all needed to be considered.

What the NHL Can Learn From The Good Wife

The latest episode of The Good Wife, titled “Gloves Come Off”, added a bit more tarnish to the image of the NHL.  The law drama tackled the issue of a hockey league being sued because of its indifference to concussions in general and specifically one player whose career ended due to a fight.  As I watched I wondered how far the script was from reality.

Observations On A Single Game

On February 27^th I posted the article Additional Statistics on the Impact of Fighting.  It contained stats that showed when fighting was reduced, non-fighting PIMs were also reduced.  It also showed that teams who fought the most were also assessed more non-fighting PIMs.  A clear trend based on the past 12 seasons of NHL play.  And then a game comes along that adds considerable weight to my argument that enforcers contribute to the violence and cheap shots, not control it.

Revenge and Retribution

On March 15^th I watched the return of Crosby when the Penguins took on the Rangers.  It was an entertaining game and Sid played well after a long recovery.  But a hit at approximately 9 minutes into the 3^rd period confused me.  It was a cheap shot actually, when Engelland led with his forearm and hit Fedotenko in the head.   An obvious cheap shot with no penalty called.

The Code Goes Global…

“The Code" has proven so successful in policing the game of hockey that it really should be adopted by society at large to solve many issues that plague us in everyday life.    If ordinary individuals accepted The Code as part of their lifestyle we could look forward to news reports such as these.

An Open Letter to the NHLPA

The pro-fighting hockey crowd continues to throw out the comment that, “98% of NHL players approve of fighting”.   Even ignoring the fact that this interpretation is not exactly accurate, it was still disappointing to me that the NHLPA would have that level  of support for something that is against the rules.  So I thought that I would send them a letter asking them to take some steps to better express their views.

Different League, Same Culture

This week it was widely reported that the junior hockey leagues in Canada are moving steadily to eliminate fighting from their organizations.   Lots of media outlets picked up the story and the majority of the articles were positive about the change.  However, just a few days later, some of the real culture was starting to leak out from under the top level of league management as junior coaches and players added their voices to the discussion.