Is The OHL Taking Steps To Ban Fighting? Will The NHL Follow Suit?

@hockeyfights Let’s take the emotions out of the game.. While we’re at it, limit players to 30 goals and goalies to 30 saves a game.

— Pierre-Luc L Leblond (@PLLeblond) September 19, 2012

Near the end of August, it was revealed that the Ontario Hockey League was going to go ahead and ban the use of that silly trapezoid behind the net in 2012-13.  Good.  I don’t know any goaltender that likes the trapezoid, and it serves no decent purpose to prohibit a talented puck-handler from going into the corners and playing the puck.

ONE GOOD TURN

OHL Pugilists – this one’s for you.

OHL…first to intro suspensions and team fines for players who fight more than 10 times per season. WHL, QMJHL aren’t on board yet.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) September 19, 2012

The OHL appears to be taking a step that would limit frequent fighters to ten fights a year.  After the eleventh fight, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that “suspensions” may result, and eventually “team fines”.

A fight can be used to shift emotion in a game.  I don’t know how often a good fight translates into ‘more goals’ or ‘more wins’ (read:  I’m betting it’s a lot less than we think) but it’s an emotional boost when one of your guys wins a tussle.

I understand the argument of those who support this action – at the end of the day, it can be chalked up to a health and safety issue.  The last thing we need is more injuries from fighting, but I think I’m opposed to a league suspending one of my guys because he’s had his 11th fight of the year.

According to HockeyFights.com, there was less than half a fight per game in the 2011-12 NHL season.  And?  I’m OK with that.   I’d like to believe that it’s because the league has improved to the point where having a pure goon on your squad is becoming less and less important.  I know that the OHL is at least prone to a bit more than half a fight per game, and I can understand the league wanting to take a proactive look at protecting their product.

I just don’t know if adding another rule is going to fix the problem.

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