Hockey fights

[Cowtown]

I Have No Idea How to Tell This Horror Story
NOV. 21, 2017

John Branch, a sports reporter at The New York Times, has been in sporadic contact via text messaging and email with Walter Peat since writing about him and his son Stephen, a former N.H.L. player.

At the time of the article, in June 2016, Stephen Peat was 36 and experiencing debilitating headaches and violent mood swings. Peat was primarily an enforcer, a player designated to drop his gloves and square off in fist-to-fist combat with an opponent. The Peats presumed that Stephen’s problems were rooted in brain trauma sustained on the ice in so many fights.

‘I Have No Idea How to Tell This Horror Story’

 

[OrangeDW]

That violent leagues of thugs obviously needs to enforce a strict off the ice dress code to curb these issues.

 

[Shrmdougluvr]

I get it a little at the professional levels, but the way Canadians promote fighting in the juniors is pretty barbaric. Even some of the box lacrosse stuff i've seen is ridiculous.

 

[Cowtown]

I get it a little at the professional levels, but the way Canadians promote fighting in the juniors is pretty barbaric. Even some of the box lacrosse stuff i've seen is ridiculous.

It's been a problem for a long time. Conn Smyth said back in the 1950's "If you can't beat 'em in the alley, you can't beat 'em on the ice." And there's always been an inverted snobbery in Canadian hockey circles that believed it then and still does today. Guys like Don Cherry have long been part of that ulcer. But it's slowly getting better.

 

[W'boro'Cuse315]

I get it a little at the professional levels, but the way Canadians promote fighting in the juniors is pretty barbaric. Even some of the box lacrosse stuff i've seen is ridiculous.

The fighting allowed & even encouraged/promoted on youth box lacrosse is completely insane. I can't believe there hasn't been an OTL report or similar exposé on this yet.

 

[Trueblue25]

I find a harder time faulting the sport itself than faulting the NHL and Washington Capitals Organization.

Shame. How do you turn your back on a human being and his family.

 

[Cowtown]

The fighting allowed & even encouraged/promoted on youth box lacrosse is completely insane. I can't believe there hasn't been an OTL report or similar exposé on this yet.

Any time crosschecking is legal, to the level that's allowed in box lacrosse, there are going to be fights. A guy can only take so much. And it's counterproductive: it takes time effort and practice to develop good ball handling skills, but any jerk can crosscheck vigorously on the first day he suits up.