Rat PIM Update – A Month of Fighting

I’ve been busy over the past few weeks, watching a lot of hockey fights.  Not exactly my favourite thing but necessary in order to collect some additional data on fighting, enforcers and the impact on Rat PIM.  As always when you look beyond the general perception of an activity you get a better sense of what is really happening.

Rat PIM Update - NHL Enforcers Vs Rats

Over the past several weeks we have heard from current and former players, as well as hockey notables, about how fighting is needed to reduce or eliminate cheap shots in the sport.  Without the Enforcer role the “Rats” would take over the game.  The consensus is so strong and prevalent that there must be some evidence that would support the pro-fighting viewpoint.  It would be hard to believe that individuals who play the game at the highest level are relying solely on perception.

Putting The Best Talent On The Ice

Several roster announcements caught my attention this past week, particularly those involving enforcers.  All of the teams talked about adding “grit”, or making them “tough to play against” or “creating room for their skilled players”.  I wondered about the talent that wouldn’t make the team because of a role player who would see limited minutes on the 4th line.

The Code by Ross Bernstein (Part 1)

A few months ago I picked up a copy of Ross Bernstein’s book, The Code: The Unwritten Rules of Fighting and Retaliation in the NHL.  My view would not be much different than those you can find on any book review site; that it’s a repetitive book with lots of first person quotes on why fighters drop the gloves.  But in my opinion the 10 reasons he provided in chapter 3, about what prompts dropping the gloves, are pretty weak.