Great column, Dupes. The major problem is overzealous homers like Mike Felger and Toni Maz, wallowing gloriously and without reservation in the carnage you so aptly described. Last week, Felger decribed the incredibly embarrasing and vulgar Flyers/Penguins series as the very height of enjoyable, exciting hockey. Go listen to the tapes. Of course, its not very hard for them to enjoy, after all, its not their blood, their heads, their careers. They have wedged out ratings,in my view, living vicariously through the unwanted and mindless violence of a game that needs none of that to be exciting and memorable. They pander to the fans, in my view, who, it would appear, disdain skating, checking and scoring at the expense of over the top and senseless brutality. If you need elbows to the head, cross checks to the neck, heads smashed into the glass and gutless, irresonsible players taking out knees from behind, to get your blood flowing, Felger and Maz, why don't you give cage fighting a shot.

jdc9756, Great reply to "Dupes". Good to see smart fans backing a smart (99% of the time), caring columnist.

Is there room for the eye-for-an-eye rule where the hitter gets sent out until the injured player returns? The league can review the hit to determine whether the hit was legal and not intended to solely to injure. I think that would do two things. One, it would slow down the vicious hits and two, it would get the most egregious violators off the ice for an extended time to let the real athletes play without fear of career ending injury. What do you think?

Great column. I am happy to be in Europe where the skill of the sport is emphasized since there is very little hitting. Sure very once in awhile I miss a good, solid, legal body check or hip check, but in general? I don't even miss it. There is no head hunting, no fighting and much more active fans who sing, drum, scarf wave and hoot and holler throughout the entire game. Players respect each other over here and there are many AHL, college and pros possibly in their twilight years playing here. It's good hockey! I won't even tell you how cheap it is to go to a game either.:) The NHL = goon game. I am not interested in this neanderthal product. But I also hate baseball- tortoise like and self absorbed- I agree!! Keep up the great work, keeping the issues out there. *Dup fan from across the pond*:)

KPD for commissioner !!! Most accurate assessment I've read of the NHL. I have been advocating for years to "clean up" the sport. The fighting has to go - the hell with the 'history' of the sport. This year's playoffs have been punctuated with goonish hitting. Finally, yesterday a meaningful suspension. Last year's playoff's also had some of the same "crap." Cleaning up the game in my opinion actually broadens the appeal of the game - and puts more games on national TV. Can only hope this column gets read in the league office (doubtful).

The one reason I rarely watch NHL hockey is because of the gratuitous violence. During one televised game recently, two opposing sets of players set up around a face off and actually dropped their gloves and sticks, as if on queue. The two pairs just started fighting each other as if it was a prearranged boxing match, and no one said or did a thing about it, at least up until I switched it off!!!! Such boxing is perhaps less of an injury issue than hard head checks, which I also find deplorable, but the entire attitude toward violence in the NHL game I find to be a total turn off. It appeals to much the same mentality as professional wrestling and extreme martial arts, which, by definition, are not even sports. Even worse, most of the game callers and commentators on TV not only accept, but discuss the violence as if it were a totally normal part of the game!!! Absurd!!!! I agree with those who compare the the NHL with the superior European game, and its emphasis on skill and respect among the players. Now, THAT is a sport! To me hockey is unwatchable without teams full of players who emulate Wayne Gretzky instead of The Terminator.

Glad you had a chance to get it off your chest, Kevin. Doubt that even you believe there will be change. Not only is violence interwoven in the history of professional hockey, but it's glorified by the NHL's PR machine. The Bruins offer a case in point. When you attend a Celtics game, the Jumbotron in the minutes preceding tip-off pays homage to the team's great history, showcasing Red, the Hall of Famers and greatest moments. The Bruins' pre-game video presentation last year was a montage of collisions, fights, and bloody faces. It's the culture. Cultures don't yield to change very easily.

Kevin, You must have been so disappointed when the Raffi Torres 25 game suspension was announced, seeing how you already wrote this article and all. At least you mentioned it in one of the final paragraphs.