Discussions

It has got to be a very fast sport over the decades and I think it is time to overall the rules. The leagues have put in rules to curb fighting by having the instigator rule and not allowing players to remove there helmut. All this has done is made the situation worse by creating a problem where more players are ending up with sore hands cause now they have to punch on a harder surface then flesh. Now more so then before we are also seeing more cuts to a players face (at least in the WHL)when they fight with there helmuts on cause the helmut is creating these injuries not the actual punch. Now don’t get me wrong here I love watching a hockey fight as much as any one but if it was removed from the game it wouldn’t make it more boring to watch. Case in point the world juniors very exciting to watch and fighting not allowed at this tournament. So I feel that if you fight in a hockey game the leagues should expel the players for the rest of that game and if there is less then 10 minutes left in regulation time it should be automatic for the next game also. Now that we have the fighting rule we need to try and curb some of the incidents that create fighting and that involves the checking of players in behind the goal line. First the main theory behind hockey is to take the puck and put it in the opponent goal. So why are the leagues allowing the players to come in with full steam ahead hit a guy first and most likely not even touch the puck after they have creamed the opposing player if the puck is behind the goal line. It is time to take it back to the basic and make players play the puck. Its starting to happen way to often behind the goal line where a player is playing or about to play the puck and the opposing team has a player coming in hard with no intention of even touching the puck. All he wants to do is cream the guy. That’s not how hockey is meant to be played they have to start making them go after the puck in this zone. I have no problem if the players are battling for the puck and one grinds the other into the boards while in this zone but there is a difference from being ground into the boards then just being creamed from a player that has enter the goal line zone with a full steam ahead. I feel that if this zone was created where once the puck has enter this zone it should be play the puck first or hold back from creaming your opponent. If you don’t then you will be called for over aggressive play and be accessed a penalty and depending on the severity of it, maybe a game misconduct. At the same time I feel it would result in less fights in a game. This would be a good start to getting the game back to the way it should be played if leagues where to implement these rules. For those of you that think this would soften the game to much and make it boring for you to watch. It just might but then again the theory of the game is not to injure your opponent it is to play the puck and put it in you‘re opponents net. You want to watch something like that I understand roller derby is gaining in popularity.I don't have all the answer I just feel the game and players have become to fast to allow these full throttle hits to continue in this zone without more emphess put on playing the puck first.