HOCKEY PROMPT

For a long time I was indifferent, but these days I'm not a fan of fighting in hockey. Mainly because a lot of the times the fights feel just like an unnecessary delay to the actual game. It might be a fourth line tough guy trying to "spark the team" against the other team's fourth line tough guy, they exchange a couple punches and fall to the ice together. It's just a boring ritual we are all forced to watch and pretend to like it.

Or there's a clean hit, but because it's a big hit or because the receiver is a star player, the hitter is then forced to defend himself because one or multiple players attack him. Again, why do you have to fight for that? It's a clean hit. If it's not a clean hit, the referees will give the penalty.

The only type of fight I have at least some understanding for is when a) two guys are just genuinely pissed at each other because of something that happened in the game and they both agree to drop the gloves. At least it's fair and happens naturally. Or b) someone plays consistently in a dirty way, intentionally trying to injure other players, and the league fails to deliver appropriate consequences for that.