Is A Ban on Fighting Coming to Juniors?

[Porous Five Hole]

https://www.tsn.ca/chl/rick-westhead-osic-urges-hockey-canada-to-push-ban-on-fighting-in-ohl-whl-1.2324440
 

“In a sweeping set of recommendations aimed at overhauling the culture of hockey, a team of researchers commissioned by the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC) is urging Hockey Canada to push for a ban on fighting across all junior leagues and implement a national sanctions registry to inform the public about people who have been banned or suspended for serious maltreatment.”

The Q is not mentioned because they’ve already banned fighting. Guys who get in fights are automatically ejected & subject to suspensions.

Hockey has to decide to either keep fighting as a deterrent for crappy on ice behavior or ban fighting and call infractions like they do in every other sport. There’s no in between. 
 

I don’t expect this to be popular with hockey fans. Especially fans reading this given that we are mostly older hockey fans on Sabrespace.  But one thing is for certain: not having fighting in Juniors is what's better for kids' long term health.

If this happens at the lower levels, it’ll eventually make its way to the pros.  Guys in the pros are already trying to punch under a a hard visor and I bet we can agree that’s stupid.  
 

Is it time to ban dropping the gloves?

[Archie Lee]

I acknowledge a degree of hypocrisy on this.  As a long-time attendee of Major Junior Hockey in Canada, I admit that a fight still pulls me to the edge of my seat.  But, I have become increasingly uncomfortable with teenagers fighting for the entertainment of others.  When I watch a junior hockey fight, I now typically think that there are at least 10 responsible adults present (the refs, coaches and athletic trainers), and it is mystifying to me that they are collectively not committed to stopping the fight, and more often are to some degree encouraging it. 

It's time.  Get rid of it.   

Edited 2 hours ago by Archie Lee

[JohnC]

2 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:

https://www.tsn.ca/chl/rick-westhead-osic-urges-hockey-canada-to-push-ban-on-fighting-in-ohl-whl-1.2324440
 

“In a sweeping set of recommendations aimed at overhauling the culture of hockey, a team of researchers commissioned by the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC) is urging Hockey Canada to push for a ban on fighting across all junior leagues and implement a national sanctions registry to inform the public about people who have been banned or suspended for serious maltreatment.”

The Q is not mentioned because they’ve already banned fighting. Guys who get in fights are automatically ejected & subject to suspensions.

Hockey has to decide to either keep fighting as a deterrent for crappy on ice behavior or ban fighting and call infractions like they do in every other sport. There’s no in between. 
 

I don’t expect this to be popular with hockey fans. Especially fans reading this given that we are mostly older hockey fans on Sabrespace.  But one thing is for certain: not having fighting in Juniors is what's better for kids' long term health.

If this happens at the lower levels, it’ll eventually make its way to the pros.  Guys in the pros are already trying to punch under a a hard visor and I bet we can agree that’s stupid.  
 

Is it time to ban dropping the gloves?

Is fighting allowed in football? Is fighting allow in basketball? Is fighting allowed in baseball? Is fighting allowed in collegiate wrestling? Is fighting allowed in college hockey? Anyone who talks about player safety, especially concerns over head injuries, and supports fighting is being hypocritical. 

As you point, the deterrence to dirty play is good officiating. Dinosaurs have died a long time ago. It's time to be a little more enlightened on this issue. Anyone who wants to continue to allow fighting should instead go to an MMA or boxing match. 

 

[irregularly irregular]

Going to be interesting to see where they draw the line. More importantly make the determination by everyone to enforce the new line.

Where does a "face wash" fall when there is a scrum in front of the net? That's the type of thing that starts the fight, but will it be an enforced penalty to keep fights from starting?

 

[shrader]

I’m on board. They’re too young. 

[darksabre]

There was a time in hockey where guys genuinely hated each other, so the fighting made sense. I think they mostly see each other as colleagues now. Co-workers for the same boss. 

But there are still too many guys in the league, Tom Wilson for example, who are dangerous to their fellow players. And they need to be handled accordingly. 

I'd like to see harsher penalties for fighting in the NHL but it needs to be accompanied by greater scrutiny and penalties for players who put other players in danger of serious injury, either intentionally or recklessly. 

[GoPuckYourself]

If it was an epidemic I’d say do it but fights rarely occur anymore and when they do they seem far less brutal from the Bob Probert days. I mean we get to watch Krebs attempt to fight then go into the fetal position while falling to the ground. Also tell me those 3 fights at 4 nations wasn’t epic, if you do we’ll definitely be fighting 🙂

Edited 1 hour ago by GoPuckYourself

[thewookie1]

I say no, all banning it at lower levels does is eventually ban it at the pro level via players.

 

It's slowly being phased out naturally; but I'll always be against banning it outright.

Once fighting is banned they'll go after hitting using the same concussion reasoning and then we have Icecapades with sticks

Edited 1 hour ago by thewookie1

[mjd1001]

I'm ok with a ban on fighting...but if, only IF they start HEAVILY penalizing all the stick work, late hits, head shots, etc that lead to many fights.

You do any of the above and someone can't respond to it in a fight, even if the refs miss it then the replay of the offense after has to be heavily penalized. I'm talking multi-games suspensions for stuff right now in the NHL that gets only a 2 minute or MAYBE a 5 minute penalty.  You want that stuff to stop, make it prohibitive.