I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out. Every NHL fan and many non fans have heard this humerous expression. Hockey is a game that combines speed, strength, fluid motions, finesse, creativeness, and yes, fighting. For some, fighting is just a part of the NHL. For others, it's an issue that needs to change. Every year, the NHL executives and the owners of every team meet to discuss the state of the game and the league. And every year there is one hotly debated topic, fighting.
For the minority of hockey fans, fighting is an aspect of the game that needs to be outlawed. I say the minority because they are just that. It's a hard sell trying to get people to buy into the idea of changing something that has been in the game for over 100 years. The fact is that fighting in the NHL today is nothing more thatn a circus sideshow (Frei 1). More often than not, it is just two big knuckleheads slugging it out for no justifiable reason. In the early years, when there were no rules to enforce, fighting might have been nessecary. But, in todays highly mandated, highly policed game, it serves absolutely no purpose (Frei 1). There is a cliche in hockey that if you want tough, go to Canada. But, if you want skilled, then go to Europe. There is one major reason that European players continue to be more skilled than their North American counterparts, Europe banned fighting in hockey.
For the majority of hockey fans, fighting is just an aspect that belongs and needs to stay in the game. People go to great lengths to convince us that fighting is a nessecary part of hockey. One of the most used arguments is that "Enforcers" are needed to police the game and ensure the safety of teams star players (Buccigross 3). This is the idea that if opposing players are challanged to a fight for hitting a star player, then they would be less likely to go after the stars. The stars would have the room to make plays without the fear of being hit. Another argument is...