Fewer Fights, and Many Fans Don’t Miss It

Nhl Champions 2019

NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center. Fighting was still a mainstay in hockey, but around 2000, one could expect to see around 0.6 fights per game, down from the 1.3 fights per game in 1987. Although fighting was on the decline, teams still had an enforcer, but their role and time on ice was significantly reduced to the point that they only played when they were told to fight.

NHL Fighting

On July 30, ESPN published “’The new normal’: Why fighting in the NHL has dropped to historic lows,” an article by Greg Wyshynski, who highlights the statistical decline of fighting in the NHL and examines the role of fighting in hockey culture. The decline in fighting can, in part, be chalked up to rule changes. But there are more complexities to this decline than one may realize. Wyshynski does a nice job of parsing things out. That’s what players, fans, and casual viewers should do before making a snap judgment about this trend and the changing NHL culture: look at the trend from multiple angles.

Nhl Fights 2019

The NHL can dictate rule changes, but they can’t dictate how players and fans should feel about them. While some lament the decline in fights, it seems that most players and fans welcome the change in culture—and for good reason. Any entertainment value that fights add to the game is simply not worth the physical risks and costs to players. Nor is it worth dividing a sport’s fan base.

The Times, They Are Changing

However, change is change. One fear amid change is nostalgia, that psychological creature that makes memory more bittersweet than it otherwise would be. It’s that nostalgia which fuels those who feel cheated if they don’t see a fight over the course of a game. But it’s not as simple as “more rules mean fewer fights.” There are larger social, psychological, and cultural factors that have changed the way that fans and players alike define “what is good for the game.” When I think about watching hockey as a teenager, I remember the adrenaline of seeing two players taking out their vengeance, gloves off. I admit, there have been times I was ecstatic when a fight broke out. Yet, I wasn’t disappointed then and I’m not disappointed now if a game ends without a brawl. The intensity of the game is enough. No theatrics or barbarism needed.

Fighting is Unnecessary

It’s easy to compare the debate over fighting in hockey to the debate over targeting rules in football; the rules attempt to make the game safer but may drain a little bit of entertainment value from the game (or change the way the game is played). But fighting in the NHL is different—and in a very critical way. While the act of targeting in football typically takes place in the act of tackling—something legal and foundational to the game—fighting in hockey occurs independent of play. Players literally stop playing and skating to fight. The separation of these two acts—what is essential to play and what’s extraneous, what’s accidental and what’s contrived—reveals a critical fact: fighting is unnecessary for the game. Perhaps it is part of the history of the game, but it isn’t essential to the game.

Ultimately, it’s unlikely that fighting is helping the sport much. After all, viewers have access to the UFC and to data regarding concussions. In 2019, fans don’t follow hockey for the fights. Dana White will give them that if they want it. Without as many fights in the NHL, most fans will get more of what they pay admission to see. And it will likely be less likely that young people will be restricted from playing hockey. Just take a look at NFL concussions and youth participation rates. Furthermore, instead of betting on number of fights per game, some fans will dig in deeper and see—through both sports odds and analytics—more complex skill-based layers of the game.

Nhl Fights 2019 2020

I can see why many enthusiasts find appeal in NHL fights. I can also appreciate how fighting is somewhat woven into the fabric of hockey culture. At the same time, when you have exciting and superbly talented players competing in an already-adrenaline-packed sport, a brief exchange of undefended jabs doesn’t sound so exciting.
Embed from Getty ImagesCaption: In the NHL, fighting has gone from expected to occasional

The month of November is Hockey Fights Cancer month across the NHL. The Hockey Fights Cancer initiative was founded in 1998 by the National Hockey League® and the National Hockey League Players’ Association. Hockey Fights Cancer™(HFC) unites the hockey community in support of cancer patients and their families. Throughout the month, the entire hockey community comes together to inspire hope and courage for those who are living with, going through, and moving past cancer.

Nhl Fights December 2019

The NHL Hockey Fights Cancer Ambassador for the 2019-20 season is NHL Alumni member Eddie Olczyk, who has been cancer-free since March of 2018. Eddie has been a constant source of inspiration for us all and spoke about his courageous battle with colon cancer at our 2018 NHL Alumni Awards Gala Celebration where he received our Ace Bailey ‘Award of Courage’. Eddie has done much to bring awareness to colon cancer and he’ll continue to do so as the NHL Hockey Fights Cancer Ambassador.

Throughout the month, you will see current NHL players wearing special Hockey Fights Cancer jerseys and lavender stick tape during warmups. During these Hockey Fights Cancer nights, you will also see lavender dasher boards (lavender representing all cancers), and coaches and broadcasters will be wearing HFC ties. Players former and present, friends, families and staff all take part in writing down what or who they are fighting for on “I Fight For” signs. Whether it’s a loved one, a neighbour, or just a cure, it’s a way to show you are with them during the fight.

Nhl Fights 2019 Season

Over the course of 21 years since its inception, the Hockey Fights Cancer initiative has raised and donated over 20 million dollars. As a result, some essential services are able to be funded like lodging, transportation, and round the clock support for patients and families alike.