The Fight

“He’s face washing him!”, “He’s looking for a dance partner!”, “It looks like a yard sale on the ice”. NBCSN hockey commentator Mike “Doc” Emeric famously signals the moment that two skaters are about to pummel each other. Fighting is one of the most venerable institutions in hockey, and a big reason why some people go to games. With rivalries and personal beefs lending a hand to some of the “chippiness” of a Playoff Series or an intense matchup of division rivals, the fight has become hockey’s most brutal and celebrated pastimes.

Hockey purists believe that fighting began in hockey during the beginning of the sport in 19th century rural Canada. Because of the high crime and poverty rates of these rural areas, the idea of letting your frustrations out legally, albeit earning a penalty, attracted tough and gritty young people to the game. In the 1920’s, fighting in the NHL or “fisticuffs” as it was called, was an integral part of the league during the “Original Six” era. Later in in the 1970s the emergence of an enforcer or a goon (see the Seann William Scott movie Goon) changed the sport drastically. While not an important scorer or playmaker, a team’s enforcer has to be ready and willing to fight any opponent to protect his teammates. See the top 3 enforcers all time below in our gallery.

Terry-O’Reilly

Bob Probert

Dave "Tiger" Williams

The fight is simple. Two skaters will turn to each other, drop their stick, and drop their gloves. The dropping gloves is one of the more important rules of the fight, because you have to fight bare-knuckled. Then each player, either with punches or a takedown, will attempt to knock the other player to the ice. The referee has a lot of leeway when deciding how a fight will go. The referee can decide to stop a fight if one skater has an advantage over another or if it’s clear one skater isn’t interested in fighting. While both players receive a 5 minute major penalty for fighting, in the early 1990s, a new “instigator” rule added an important aspect to the fight. With the new “instigator” rule, players who instigated a fight, with no agreement from the other skater, are handed an additional game misconduct penalty. This new rule quickly became wrought with controversy. The rule has encouraged dirty play, because it does not allow the enforcers of a team police the game. Skaters who take cheap shots or use low tricks on opposing skaters are more inclined to play dirty without the worry of repercussion from a team’s enforcer. Despite the controversy, the rule remains in place.

Fighting is essential to the hockey experience. Despite many studies that show fighting can discourage fans and young players from participating in hockey, there is strong support from NHL owners, players, coaches, and a large majority of the fanbase. If you attend an NHL game today, and a fight occurs, the entire rink will cheer. The fact that a sport allows players who may disagree or dislike each other vent their frustration and anger, and then sit for five minutes should bring more people to the game. While the practice is violent and can lead to injury, so can the rest of the sport. The fight is an aspect of hockey from its ancient days and should remain that way for years to come. If you want to see some of the best fights ever in the NHL, check out the Top 5 Fights Video connected this post! Viewer Discretion is Advised.