The Debate Continues

It sometimes seems as though anyone within reach of a keyboard, within shouting distance of a microphone, or with access to a soapbox has an opinion regarding fighting’s place in hockey. In the wake of the Don Sanderson tragedy there has been no shortage of people climbing onto their soap boxes-- something I often try to avoid when the issue of fighting in hockey surfaces. And with the Ontario Hockey League’s newly enacted rules about fighting, local soapboxes are once again full. On fighting itself, there’s no denying its strange and intricate place in the game of hockey. Whether a good or bad thing can be-- and in many places is-- debated until all participants are blue in the face. For now, though, it’s a part of the game. On the OHL’s new rules, so-called hockey purists and so-called experts are raking OHL commissioner David Branch over the coals, saying the new rules will effectively remove fighting from the OHL altogether. They say the new rules will ruin the game and rob fans of what they want to see. I think that sentiment is a disservice to hockey fans everywhere. In European leagues, fighting is rare, but fans flocked to the new Champions League tournament. Demand for hockey in Europe is higher than ever as the game becomes more and more global. As Canadians embrace ever more international competition, events find themselves in brighter and broader spotlights than ever before. The event now being called the biggest date in the NHL calendar-- the soon-to-be annual Winter Classic outdoor game drew enormous television audiences without a single scrap. And so long as temperatures stay below freezing, it’s doubtful many pugilists will want to change that. But back to the OHL. Last I checked, the OHL, as a member of the Canadian Hockey League is billed as Canada’s premiere development league for junior-aged players. That reputation holds-- the first four players drafted in June’s draft were OHL products-- and none of those players were drafted for their fighting ability. If the pro-fighting crowd, and rabid fight lovers are to believed, there’s nothing in hockey more important than a fight. Explain to me, then, why players like Minnesota’s Derek Boogaard are drafted toward the end of the draft, and others like Edmonton’s Steve MacIntyre aren’t drafted at all. No matter what these new rules mean for fighting, the OHL is right to enforce rules that will encourage the continued development of top-end talent. If OHL rosters aren’t going to include a designated “goon,” that just means there will be more room for another potential star. The more room this game has for skill, the better the game is.