casual fans don't fuck with my hockey, and i won't pay a second of attention to your football, basketball, or baseball. i had zero opinion on the steroid outbreak shit in baseball (short of the disbelief that it came down to wasting tax payer money on the matter) because i couldn't give any less of a shit about baseball. likewise basketball, or football. shut up about hockey. fighting has been a part of the sport since its inception, it is a deterrent as much as it is a strategy, they are grown ass men that know what they are getting in to. the age of the "goons" has long since passed, there is no more mcsorley/probert/domi/langdons running around, sure you have some tough guys, but buttman has pussified the sport to a degree that it's simply not worth the roster spot anymore. you have a guy like avery or prust that are (somewhat, in avery's case) skilled players that will also drop them if they need to. 

you don't take the punching out of boxing, you don't take the kicking out of UFC, you can't take the crashing out of car racing, you can't take the fighting out of hockey. 

Avery never drops his gloves.  He runs from fights more than not.  He's a flea, not a fighter.  But I agree with you on the rest of it (football is my second favorite sport).  Taking fighting out of hockey will just result in the teams getting back at each other some other way.  Fighting lets both teams blow off steam and get back to the game without the refs throwing everyone off the ice. 

well, yeah, that's true. he used to go at it a bit more earlier on. 

As I see it, the real problem was that Boogaard couldn't be truly upfront about what his real demons were. The NHL and NHLPA have to do better with respect to building support for teammates fighting troubles in the locker room when they are sidelined for extensive periods for on- or off-ice reasons.

I know it is water under the bridge now, but the Rangers could have had Boogaard with the team for home games to make him feel part of the team and perhaps to aid in his struggle against drugs, which really worsened what was already a bad situation. He would have been someone who might have ended up suffering early-onset Alzheimer's had this continued.

A comparison of his brain was made to that of the brain of former Buffalo Sabre Rick Martin (who was a pure goal scorer), who died of a heart attack back in March just shy of age 60. The differences were astounding.

Boogaard's death may have been caused by long term effects of brain trauma but does fighting account for all of that? When it comes to physical sports such as hockey and football, players are running the risk of head injuries everytime they step out to play. I've had 2 concussions from hockey and neither were from fighting. More concussions are caused by hits from behind, boarding, hits to the head, elbowing, and many other instances during games other than fighting. Boogaard was a rough and tough style player he wasn't there for his hands by any means. Hockey too, has a history of being a rough and tough sport. There are instances where teams do in fact send their enforcer out to fight i.e. when the other team cheap shots their star. The enforcer knows exactly why they are there just like we do. Let us not forget that these are their jobs, it's what they're paid to do and it is their passion. Construction workers walk on high buildings and in dangerous places for their work and enforcers fight for theirs. Forget about whether or not fighting hurts revenue or tv ratings. Whether or not people go to games isn't going to effect the rules and if hockey is a so called third level sport then so be it but players love it and so do fans. Do stadiums roar when a batter charges the mound in baseball? Yes. How about when someone gets tired of being fowled in basketball and gives a little push? Yes. Fighting isn't going to make or break the sport of hockey so it might as well be in it and showcase the toughness that these players have. If you think money and popularity is going to take fighting out of hockey your sadly mistaken. Shanny is doing a great job protecting these players now and will continue to do so. And if you truely think fighting in hockey is just when people get all pissed off your wrong. It can be a momentum boost to change a game. One team is getting dominated and it takes one guy to stand up drop the gloves and duke it out to show he's willing to fight for that W. The rest of the team rides that momentum and from there the game can change. Sometimes it's even just a friendly challenge.

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

What?!! There is a something called an Enforcer in professional hockey? WTF?

Vulcan Princess. To your point about "Why else does a team with Crosby, Malkin and Fleury need Steven McIntyre? For his passing?". That's exaclty my point. A team like that DOESN'T need a Mcintyre. Just as many fans would come to see that team without Mcintyre plus they would draw fans that now stay away because of the fighting so overall the team would be better off without him and that translates league wide. Also if a guy isn't good enough to make it on his hockey talent then he DOESN"T get to be in league just like any other sport or any other job. If you aren't good enough to get into the NFL or NBA you just don't make it, if you aren't a good enough typist to be a data entry person you just don't get the job. That's life and you need to find another job... 

and cindy would get his ass knocked out in 2 seconds, and no one to avenge/defend. 

again, gretzky had mcsorley, messier had kocur, lemieux (also) had mcsorley, the flyers had the flyers, every team has a tough guy, and if they didn't they are sitting ducks. WORSE things happen if you know there is no repercussion. 

you clearly don't know a fucking thing about the sport, so why are you talking about it like you do? go back to your NBA forums and leave the hockey talk to people that actually follow and know hockey. 

That's for Ray Shero to assess, he's the one who signed McIntyre. I'll reserve my judgement on who needs what because teams act upon it themselves.

And let's not forget, these guys are excellent at what they do, that's why they're in the NHL. Fighters make way less money while doing exactly the same in the minors. A good quote from Aaron Boogard: "I mean honesty, what else am I going to do"?

Here's another quote from Big George Laraque: “I fight because it’s my job, not because I like it. How many fighters like fighting anyway? I’ve talked to many tough guys and I can’t even name you one. We do it because it’s our job; that’s it.”

Who am I to chime in about whether they should be looking for another job? I could say that to anyone who's involved in a physical sport but it won't make me right.

However, that question is a bit valid because Deryk Engelland has the fighting ability, but can also play a regular shift as a second or third pair defenseman.

That has allowed Dan Bylsma to not dress Steve MacIntyre, who has only played 5 NHL games this season and is averaging 2:28 of ice time this season. He is the nuclear option for the Pens.

The days of the dedicated enforcer are over. Teams will take a player like an Evander Kane or a Jarome Iginla or a Milan Lucic, who can fight but also play a regular shift (each is a first- or second-line forward on his respective team).

Yes but see from my point of view: Dale Purinton (Beukeboom was not considered since he's from an earlier generation). For every one Engelland, there's a thousand... 

I guess my response to those guys would be "like many other businesses in many other fields the league needs to change and  your "job" is no longer needed." i realize even the fighters in the league are more talented on skates than 99.99% of the world but if they can't beat out enough players on their actual skating and hockey talents then unfortunately they just don't make the team. It's like that with any job but to keep them on because they "can't do anything else" doesn't make any sense... 

Unfortunately some jobs might be lost but alot of the reason hockey is considered a third level sport is because of the fighting. Hockey's overall reputation has suffered and will continue to suffer because of it which in the long run hurts the league and it's a league that has been on the brink for years now......

will you please shut up already? you've demonstrated you have no understanding about the sport enough already, give up. christ.

What are the 2nd level sports?

Yep, there are signs that such is already happening... I don't think McIntyre has dressed for the Pens once thus far this season. It will be interesting to see how this article and the 3 deaths will change the culture of hockey, although I suspect heartland traditionalists will continue to resist. 

Whatever happens, I like what TBE11 said, we need to stop dehumanizing the average pro athlete.

I agree with you. However, it's clear the NHL needs to be more diligent in trying to help the guys out who are in trouble from both physical and mental problems that arise because of their specialty. It's pretty clear the Rangers didn't handle Boogaard correctly. I'm glad the league is taking the issue of concussions and hits to the head seriously, but it appears the enforcers are being dehumanized and are an afterthought. They're not Crosby, so they don't count.

Perhaps it's time for the NHL (as well as the NFL) to have a mandatory retirement for guys who are concussed too often.   

Yep. Bettman did himself and the league no favors by sounding like a weasel (as usual). The refusal of comment by the Rangers and the Wild are also suspect.

It'd also be more constructive if retired pugilists set up a support system for current players instead of threatening pointless lawsuits. 

At least Bettman gets what he deserves:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

To be fair to Bettman (again, why? I dunno), he has to say that otherwise it opens the league up to massive liability.

Jeez.  Cut the pretense already and just give them swords, nets and tridents.

Savages!