by Jonathan Myers

Created on: March 09, 2009   Last Updated: March 20, 2009

Fighting drives hockey to a higher emotional level than most sports. Without fighting, the sport would lose the unwritten laws that make the game what it is today. The players known as enforcers, or goons, whose main purpose is to fight, would have never been able to leave their mark on the hockey world and in the hearts of Hockey fans. Fighting helps define hockey, and it is essential to the popularity and integrity.

It is argued that fighting tears down the attractiveness of hockey, but it actually makes it more exciting. Rivalries are more heated do to enforcers, which can promote the sport to fans who like to watch their favorite players go toe-to-toe with the opposition's roughest players. Besides advocating the grit and guts of hockey, fighting is appealing to fans who love the tactical aspect of its play. Enforcers are used to intimidate opposing players, and if use correctly, can affect suspense and tempo of play.

In what might seem like a contradiction, fighting helps regulate penalties. Some times an official may not see a major penalty or blatant act of misconduct, but because of the incorporation of fighting, players can police the game themselves, allowing them to regulate areas where conventional rules stall. For example, fighting helps manage an opposing player from becoming malicious, because they know that there is consequence to their action. In turn, the players can protect their star players from being bullied. The reluctance for cheap shots goes a long way in keeping the sport stable.

Enforcers brought a new element to the game when they were introduced. With the need to protect star players from injury to do belligerent opponents, the enforcer's role became imperative and gave opportunities to them to be exposed to the public eye. Hockey fans would have missed out on some of the games star enforcers, such as Dave Semenko and Bob Probert, who brought their fresh talents to the sport.

Banning fighting in hockey would be detrimental to its excitement. Hockey is a brutal sport and appeals to fans that enjoy controlled violence. With the game being a fast paced contact sport, players need fighting to regulate the game beyond the rule book. They need the ability to protect their teammates, especially their star players who have a target on their head. Enforcers play an important role that is irreplaceable. The sport would never be the same if players were forced to play nicely.

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