Dryden on the NHL's need to address concussions.

[Trotsky]

Imagine going to an NHL game and seeing teams with four excellent lines all running at full tilt...  60 minutes of great hockey not marred by fights and senseless Sean Avery type stupidity.   The bottom 5% of players in The NHL only serve one purpose and it isn't their skills with a puck

Sean Avery has never been suspended for an on-ice incident.  He's an agitator, sure, but not a dangerous player.  Can we stop lumping him in with the Donald Brashears and Marty McSorleys and Dale Hunters of the world?

Yes.  Sean Avery is a somewhat different kind of asshole than Donald Brashear.  His mom should be proud.

[ugarte]

Well written article. I pretty much agree.

Please move this to Alumni in the prose.

[ftyuv]

Imagine going to an NHL game and seeing teams with four excellent lines all running at full tilt...  60 minutes of great hockey not marred by fights and senseless Sean Avery type stupidity.   The bottom 5% of players in The NHL only serve one purpose and it isn't their skills with a puck

Sean Avery has never been suspended for an on-ice incident.  He's an agitator, sure, but not a dangerous player.  Can we stop lumping him in with the Donald Brashears and Marty McSorleys and Dale Hunters of the world?

Agitators are just as much of a problem as the enforcers. Enforcers exist to enforce respect in the game and Sean Avery respects no one on the ice. The game would be better without both.

Amen. The commonality between enforcers and agitators is that they're not there to play the game -- they're a sideshow.

[KeithK]

Imagine going to an NHL game and seeing teams with four excellent lines all running at full tilt...  60 minutes of great hockey not marred by fights and senseless Sean Avery type stupidity.   The bottom 5% of players in The NHL only serve one purpose and it isn't their skills with a puck

Sean Avery has never been suspended for an on-ice incident.  He's an agitator, sure, but not a dangerous player.  Can we stop lumping him in with the Donald Brashears and Marty McSorleys and Dale Hunters of the world?

Agitators are just as much of a problem as the enforcers. Enforcers exist to enforce respect in the game and Sean Avery respects no one on the ice. The game would be better without both.

Amen. The commonality between enforcers and agitators is that they're not there to play the game -- they're a sideshow.

Maybe so.  But it's a sideshow that a large number of the paying fans like to see. (Ever been to a minor league hockey game?)

[Jim Hyla]

Imagine going to an NHL game and seeing teams with four excellent lines all running at full tilt...  60 minutes of great hockey not marred by fights and senseless Sean Avery type stupidity.   The bottom 5% of players in The NHL only serve one purpose and it isn't their skills with a puck

Sean Avery has never been suspended for an on-ice incident.  He's an agitator, sure, but not a dangerous player.  Can we stop lumping him in with the Donald Brashears and Marty McSorleys and Dale Hunters of the world?

Agitators are just as much of a problem as the enforcers. Enforcers exist to enforce respect in the game and Sean Avery respects no one on the ice. The game would be better without both.

Amen. The commonality between enforcers and agitators is that they're not there to play the game -- they're a sideshow.

Maybe so.  But it's a sideshow that a large number of the paying fans like to see. (Ever been to a minor league hockey game?)

Not many, but do we know they wouldn't like a well played, fast game. Just because someone gets excited about a fight doesn't mean they wouldn't come to a real game. We should give them the chance.

[Al DeFlorio]

Imagine going to an NHL game and seeing teams with four excellent lines all running at full tilt...  60 minutes of great hockey not marred by fights and senseless Sean Avery type stupidity.   The bottom 5% of players in The NHL only serve one purpose and it isn't their skills with a puck

Sean Avery has never been suspended for an on-ice incident.  He's an agitator, sure, but not a dangerous player.  Can we stop lumping him in with the Donald Brashears and Marty McSorleys and Dale Hunters of the world?

Agitators are just as much of a problem as the enforcers. Enforcers exist to enforce respect in the game and Sean Avery respects no one on the ice. The game would be better without both.

Amen. The commonality between enforcers and agitators is that they're not there to play the game -- they're a sideshow.

Maybe so.  But it's a sideshow that a large number of the paying fans like to see. (Ever been to a minor league hockey game?)

Not many, but do we know they wouldn't like a well played, fast game. Just because someone gets excited about a fight doesn't mean they wouldn't come to a real game. We should give them the chance.

And I care a lot more for the health of the skilled players than for the happiness of the cretins who enjoy seeing heads bashed in.

[css228]

Imagine going to an NHL game and seeing teams with four excellent lines all running at full tilt...  60 minutes of great hockey not marred by fights and senseless Sean Avery type stupidity.   The bottom 5% of players in The NHL only serve one purpose and it isn't their skills with a puck

Sean Avery has never been suspended for an on-ice incident.  He's an agitator, sure, but not a dangerous player.  Can we stop lumping him in with the Donald Brashears and Marty McSorleys and Dale Hunters of the world?

Agitators are just as much of a problem as the enforcers. Enforcers exist to enforce respect in the game and Sean Avery respects no one on the ice. The game would be better without both.

Amen. The commonality between enforcers and agitators is that they're not there to play the game -- they're a sideshow.

Maybe so.  But it's a sideshow that a large number of the paying fans like to see. (Ever been to a minor league hockey game?)

Not many, but do we know they wouldn't like a well played, fast game. Just because someone gets excited about a fight doesn't mean they wouldn't come to a real game. We should give them the chance.

And I care a lot more for the health of the skilled players than for the happiness of the cretins who enjoy seeing heads bashed in.

I enjoy good physical hockey as much as the next guy, but you can't tell me it is good for the game when Giroux, Crosby, Pronger, and Mike Richards are out with concussions(just to name the stars, a much more complete list here). I don't like Crosby in the least, but I think the game is better with him on the ice than off the ice. I think the system of agitators and enforcers leads to a bit of a macho code where guys like Crosby and Giroux may no be able to have full NHL careers anymore, which is a shame. Hockey is a physical sport and that should never be taken away from the game if possible, but its hard to watch guys suffer lifelong consequences purely because they're our entertainment.

[KeithK]

Imagine going to an NHL game and seeing teams with four excellent lines all running at full tilt...  60 minutes of great hockey not marred by fights and senseless Sean Avery type stupidity.   The bottom 5% of players in The NHL only serve one purpose and it isn't their skills with a puck

Sean Avery has never been suspended for an on-ice incident.  He's an agitator, sure, but not a dangerous player.  Can we stop lumping him in with the Donald Brashears and Marty McSorleys and Dale Hunters of the world?

Agitators are just as much of a problem as the enforcers. Enforcers exist to enforce respect in the game and Sean Avery respects no one on the ice. The game would be better without both.

Amen. The commonality between enforcers and agitators is that they're not there to play the game -- they're a sideshow.

Maybe so.  But it's a sideshow that a large number of the paying fans like to see. (Ever been to a minor league hockey game?)

Not many, but do we know they wouldn't like a well played, fast game. Just because someone gets excited about a fight doesn't mean they wouldn't come to a real game. We should give them the chance.

And I care a lot more for the health of the skilled players than for the happiness of the cretins who enjoy seeing heads bashed in.

don't get me wrong.  I'm not a fan of fights. I like the no-fighting rule in college and would love to see it in the NHL. But you're preaching to the choir here. People who spend their time reading hockey internet forums are not necessarily reflective of the general viewing public.

If the majority of fans (or a large enough minority) enjoy seeing fights at hockey games then the owners are not going to be eager to make rule changes that eliminate them. Sure there's a cost benefit analysis involved (star out with a concussion vs. losing some part of the fan base) but since it's hard to put numbers on such things the status quo will be favored, inevitably.

The one thing that would quickly change things is concerted action on the part of the players.  But I've heard plenty of anecdotal evidence to think that many players like the way things are now.

[redice]

Imagine going to an NHL game and seeing teams with four excellent lines all running at full tilt...  60 minutes of great hockey not marred by fights and senseless Sean Avery type stupidity.   The bottom 5% of players in The NHL only serve one purpose and it isn't their skills with a puck

Sean Avery has never been suspended for an on-ice incident.  He's an agitator, sure, but not a dangerous player.  Can we stop lumping him in with the Donald Brashears and Marty McSorleys and Dale Hunters of the world?

Agitators are just as much of a problem as the enforcers. Enforcers exist to enforce respect in the game and Sean Avery respects no one on the ice. The game would be better without both.

Amen. The commonality between enforcers and agitators is that they're not there to play the game -- they're a sideshow.

Maybe so.  But it's a sideshow that a large number of the paying fans like to see. (Ever been to a minor league hockey game?)

Not many, but do we know they wouldn't like a well played, fast game. Just because someone gets excited about a fight doesn't mean they wouldn't come to a real game. We should give them the chance.

As someone who lives near Elmira, NY and has been to a fair number of Elmira Jackals' (ECHL) games, I can say that it's very rare to find a fan who is not there to see fights in the game.   That is what gets the fan base excited in Elmira.   I find the same thing when talking hockey with the locals.   It's all about fighting.   When I try to preach the merits of a good hockey game, they look at me like I just arrived from another planet.   So sad....  Let's relegate the sideshows to the local county fair!!

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

Imagine going to an NHL game and seeing teams with four excellent lines all running at full tilt...  60 minutes of great hockey not marred by fights and senseless Sean Avery type stupidity.   The bottom 5% of players in The NHL only serve one purpose and it isn't their skills with a puck

Sean Avery has never been suspended for an on-ice incident.  He's an agitator, sure, but not a dangerous player.  Can we stop lumping him in with the Donald Brashears and Marty McSorleys and Dale Hunters of the world?

Agitators are just as much of a problem as the enforcers. Enforcers exist to enforce respect in the game and Sean Avery respects no one on the ice. The game would be better without both.

Amen. The commonality between enforcers and agitators is that they're not there to play the game -- they're a sideshow.

Maybe so.  But it's a sideshow that a large number of the paying fans like to see. (Ever been to a minor league hockey game?)

Not many, but do we know they wouldn't like a well played, fast game. Just because someone gets excited about a fight doesn't mean they wouldn't come to a real game. We should give them the chance.

As someone who lives near Elmira, NY and has been to a fair number of Elmira Jackals' (ECHL) games, I can say that it's very rare to find a fan who is not there to see fights in the game.   That is what gets the fan base excited in Elmira.   I find the same thing when talking hockey with the locals.   It's all about fighting.   When I try to preach the merits of a good hockey game, they look at me like I just arrived from another planet.   So sad....  Let's relegate the sideshows to the local county fair!!

Unfortunately, in a lot of NHL cities, it's the same.  The loudest I've heard a Flyers game get during a non-playoff situation was during a fight.  Sad.

[css228]

Imagine going to an NHL game and seeing teams with four excellent lines all running at full tilt...  60 minutes of great hockey not marred by fights and senseless Sean Avery type stupidity.   The bottom 5% of players in The NHL only serve one purpose and it isn't their skills with a puck

Sean Avery has never been suspended for an on-ice incident.  He's an agitator, sure, but not a dangerous player.  Can we stop lumping him in with the Donald Brashears and Marty McSorleys and Dale Hunters of the world?

Agitators are just as much of a problem as the enforcers. Enforcers exist to enforce respect in the game and Sean Avery respects no one on the ice. The game would be better without both.

Amen. The commonality between enforcers and agitators is that they're not there to play the game -- they're a sideshow.

Maybe so.  But it's a sideshow that a large number of the paying fans like to see. (Ever been to a minor league hockey game?)

Not many, but do we know they wouldn't like a well played, fast game. Just because someone gets excited about a fight doesn't mean they wouldn't come to a real game. We should give them the chance.

As someone who lives near Elmira, NY and has been to a fair number of Elmira Jackals' (ECHL) games, I can say that it's very rare to find a fan who is not there to see fights in the game.   That is what gets the fan base excited in Elmira.   I find the same thing when talking hockey with the locals.   It's all about fighting.   When I try to preach the merits of a good hockey game, they look at me like I just arrived from another planet.   So sad....  Let's relegate the sideshows to the local county fair!!

Unfortunately, in a lot of NHL cities, it's the same.  The loudest I've heard a Flyers game get during a non-playoff situation was during a fight.  Sad.

Hate to admit it, but I got into hockey because of the Legion of Doom line.

[KeithK]

As someone who lives near Elmira, NY and has been to a fair number of Elmira Jackals' (ECHL) games, I can say that it's very rare to find a fan who is not there to see fights in the game.   That is what gets the fan base excited in Elmira.   I find the same thing when talking hockey with the locals.   It's all about fighting.   When I try to preach the merits of a good hockey game, they look at me like I just arrived from another planet.   So sad....  Let's relegate the sideshows to the local county fair!!

Unfortunately, in a lot of NHL cities, it's the same.  The loudest I've heard a Flyers game get during a non-playoff situation was during a fight.  Sad.

Think how often you see hockey fights highlighted on Sportscenter.

[Josh '99]

Imagine going to an NHL game and seeing teams with four excellent lines all running at full tilt...  60 minutes of great hockey not marred by fights and senseless Sean Avery type stupidity.   The bottom 5% of players in The NHL only serve one purpose and it isn't their skills with a puck

Sean Avery has never been suspended for an on-ice incident.  He's an agitator, sure, but not a dangerous player.  Can we stop lumping him in with the Donald Brashears and Marty McSorleys and Dale Hunters of the world?

Yes.  Sean Avery is a somewhat different kind of asshole than Donald Brashear.  His mom should be proud.

I never said he isn't an asshole, but I feel like a fan of the team that employed Billy Smith should understand that there's a place for assholes in hockey.

[jtn27]

Dryden wrote another interesting article yesterday on hockey fights and Canadian hockey players' fighting spirit.
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7431879/hall-fame-goaltender-ken-dryden-legacy-hockey-fighting-spirit

[dbilmes]

Another article on the topic in today's NY Times, with one hockey official defending fighting and one calling for its abolition from the game.