Third Man In

[Thairlar]

Definitely go! How are you supposed to help a team mate out if you can't jump in a mismatch or someone's hitting them while they're down? Fighting's part of the game. Now to find a Terry O'Reilly highlight video.

[Cheakamus]

It's the job of the linesmen to stop a fight, not the team mates. If you get in a fight and get thumped, too bad. I hate waiting for all the penalties to get sorted out from multiplayer brawls; it slows the game down too much. I appreciate the fighting in hockey, and think it is an important part of the game, but I also prefer it when the play is not halted for too long. Besides, if you want to even up a score, take the guy out later when he's not expecting it

[doohnibor]

I think it needs to stay. It's the only thing that maintains order during a game and fight.

There is always time for "payback" later in the game. It adds to the drama of the game as you never know when someone is going to exact their revenge.

[Thairlar]

It's the job of the team mates to defend their own though. If someone were to drop the gloves and start throwing punches at Samsonov, I'd hope someone would jump in. Sammy's a great player, although out for the bulk of the season with an injury, but he's not a fighter. He's developed into a guy who can hit and take the body, but I wouldn't want to see him with his gloves off against some 6'4" thug. We have PJ Stock for fights with someone bigger. He takes on all comers and wins more times than not.

Oh, and while we're on the subject of fighting, what's up with guys who take cheap shots at people and drop to the ice and turtle when they other guy drops his gloves?

[Cheakamus]

If someone drops his gloves and challenges Samsonov to a fight, Samosonov should just skate away. There's no shame in not fightning. Then when PJ Stock gets on the ice he can put a challenge to the player to fight someone his own size. A lot of this has to do with the coach and the decision to put a goon out against another goon.

I agree that it is the team mates job to defend their own, but not in a brawl. There's always room for "payback" in hockey.

As for guys taking cheap shots and going turtle, they'll get what's coming to them eventually. Of all sports hockey (well, and maybe rugby) offers the best opportunities to call in a grudge.

[Thairlar]

True enough, and those clean hits can sometimes be more devestating than cheap shots.

Actually, I think it was Bucyk who always remembered and got even. Maybe not that game or the next, but he always got even and with a devestating clean hit.

[Cheakamus]

Bingo.

[monteman]

Sometime I think maybe the first and second as well!!! Everybody seemed to have liked Olympic hockey. No fighting there???? If you enforce the high-sticking, slashing... stick fouls and the toher cheap stuff - (lord knows between the two refs they see 95% of it) - maybe you don't need the fighters? Just a thought.

[Cheakamus]

Comparing Olympic hockey with NHL hockey is like comparing red and white wine. They're both hockey, but quite different. Olympic teams only meet for a few games so it's hard for grudges to build up. Plus the players selected are more "skill players" selected for speed and puck handling on the larger ice surface than grinders, so the propensity for agression building is lessened. The NHL, on the other hand, has a smaller ice surface and more grinding and cheap shots, so aggression has an opportunity to build and needs to be released somehow. That's what fighting is for. Without fighting in a league like the NHL you'll have players taking more cheap shots and doing dangerous things, which is not good. Better to just let them square off with each other, throw a few punches and get on with it.

[Thairlar]

I don't want hockey without fighting. It's part of the game. In fact, if youtake a look at a lot of the european leagues where there's nofighting, you'll see a lot of little cheap whcks with sticks on the wrists and stuff when refs aren't looking. Just let 'em have a good honest fight and the cheap stickwork won't be as much of a problem and there will be less injuries because of it.