The world of college hockey is changing. For years, fighting was permitted and even encouraged, but now that the 2019-20 season has begun, many colleges have banned fighting. The question remains: is it actually necessary to have fighting in college hockey? Let’s take a quick look at the history of hockey fighting and its role in hockey today.
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Fighting In College Hockey
Before the implementation of the NCAA men’s hockey eligibility rules in the 1940s, there were no restrictions on who could play the game. Students could play as long as their school allowed it, and many players got into fights on the ice over the years. In fact, in a 1936 National Hockey League (NHL) game, Boston Bruins player Tommy Trickerill started a fight with Chicago Black Hawks player Arnie Harwood. The incident led to a bench-clearing brawl and a game delay of almost two hours. Even though Trickerill and Harwood avoided serious injury in the fight, the game was later called a “wild brawl.” The fighting ended only when the league president stopped the game and ordered the players to go back to their respective benches. It was the first of three fights that day, and more than 40 years later, the brawl is still cited as one of the most famous and important hockey fights of all time.
Why Did Colleges Ban Fighting?
After the implementation of the NCAA hockey eligibility rules, colleges began to disallow fighting for two reasons. First, they were trying to level the playing field by preventing talented young men from fighting for a spot on the team. Second, they worried that allowing fights would make the game less safe. According to Chris Bell, an author of three books on hockey, including The 100 Greatest Hockey Players of All Time, “You had people trying to hurt each other. They were hitting in the stands, slapping each other in the locker room, and even shoving each other at times. It was absolutely ridiculous.” Bell continues, “There’s always going to be fighting in hockey. It’s something that’s been around since the sport began. But it was certainly encouraged prior to the establishment of the NCAA, and I think it carried on even after that because people just didn’t like seeing players get injured.”
The number of hockey fights has declined over the past six decades. Fewer ice hockey fights means fewer injuries, and that’s certainly a positive change. Thanks to updated rules and increased safety measures, such as NHL expansion screening, fighting today is much less prevalent than it used to be. Even so, hockey fights will always be a part of the game because there’s such a competitive nature between the players.
The Role Of Fighting In Today’s Hockey
Like most sports, hockey is a game that’s evolved over the years. Today’s hockey is quite different from the hockey of the 1930s. One of the biggest differences is the lack of fighting. In today’s game, skilled players utilize their speed and tactics to beat their opponents and gain an advantage. As a result, battles on the ice have decreased, and that’s made a huge difference. The lack of fighting in today’s game has changed the way many top players view the sport. “I remember when I played in the NHL, there was always a lot of fighting,” Chicago Black Hawks captain Jonathan Toews said. “But nowadays, I think players realize that there are subtleties in hockey that can help you outsmart the other team.”
Even so, despite the fact that today’s game is less about fighting and more about strategy and skill, hockey is still considered by many to be a “fighting sport.” That’s because of the physicality and brutality that is present in nearly every game. If you ask any NHL player or coach if fighting is still relevant in hockey, they’ll most likely say “yes.” “I love playing the game,” Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said. “I think it’s a great way to stay close to your roots as a sport and show what it stands for. And I think that with the game changing so much, it’s only natural that old habits would die hard.”
The bottom line is that while fighting may be unnecessary in today’s game, it’s still considered an integral part of the sport. Hopefully, more and more young men will realize this and stay away from the game if fighting is the way they want to play. But until then, let the games begin.