Written Task:  What are your thoughts on fighting in hockey? It's definitely a lot less common these days, do you think that's a good thing? Do you think it has a place in the game, or that it's overdue to disappear entirely? Maybe you wish it happened more often? In your opinion, what circumstances justify a hockey fight? Specific things? Any time you want for entertainment's sake? Tell me your thoughts! (150+ words)

This is a tough one. Fighting has certainly become rarer since I was first introduced to hockey and I haven’t quite figured out if that’s good or bad. The reduced physicality has allowed for players like McDavid to exist which has elevated the level of play from more physical eras. I don’t know if fighting will always exist in hockey, but that reputation will always be there. I go to my college’s games and it feels like 80 percent of the student section doesn’t know the first thing about the sport but thinks that a fight will break out because it’s a hockey game. Like they all are screaming at these kids to fight despite the full cages and severe repercussions from the NCAA for actually getting in a fight. I will say that fighting in hockey is what sets it apart from other sports. Sure there are brawls in football and baseball every now and then but there is a level of mutual respect ingrained in hockey fights which no other sport can emulate.