Quote:
Originally Posted by Dusty90  When I saw this fight I was actually kind of disgusted, and like PA Jayhawk, I think major hockey leagues are doing to much to limit fighting. As a goalie, I really don't see why J. Roy felt the need to go down to the other end of the ice to fight the other goalie who clearly did not want to fight. If one of your team members is getting jumped or is in need of help, or if the other goalie wants to fight as well, than that is a completely different story.
I am a big fan of hockey, and I also really like seeing the rough play, but between some of the vicious head checks, stomping on players and just recently this, it seems that some players have lost respect for there opposition. Its kind of sad really. |
I actually think by the league doing to much, it has only been counterproductive and led to this "Loss of Respect" that you mention.
Perfect example is the Late Instigator rule. This IMO has to be one of the most ridiculous rules in hockey for the purpose that it meant to serve. It likely is a good part of the reason you see these cheap shots. I also feel without it, they left their baggage on the ice at the end of the game. Now it is simply a matter of taking cheap shots or carrying the baggage over to the next time they meet. Yet this was inducted when the prior year there likely were not much more than a dozen cases (I believe 16), where it would have been penalized in the prior year. I actually think in many cases where there is a blowout, it simply fuels the fire. Kinda like saying, "If your gonna step over the line you may as well make it count, because your gonna get a suspension anyways" Where as I believe by the "old school" hockey rules, the players had control over the tempo of the game, which in large part was controlled for what you mention, "Out of Respect".
All year I have been joking about the Caps~Penguins series and how Brashear and Laraque haven't faced off. There is a reason for this. Although in the same match ups, I have likely seen more cheap shots in the end, that only fuel the fire and carry it over to the next match up. Where you simply see even more cheap shots starting earlier in the game. Where if they would just let guys like Brashear and Laraque do a big part of their job on the ice, you likely would run a far less risk of losing your players to injury or suspension.
Not even to mention that it is just an integral of the game. Kinda like the handshake at the end of the series. Both teams left everything on the ice, and it's time to move on. Now it seems simply out of formality that they do this, even though they lack the respect for the opposing players, simply because they have been doing it for years.
edit 1 - FYI, Quebec Prosecutes have now ordered a criminal investigation in the incident