The game would be ten times more dangerous if fighting were to be taken out of the game.  With no accountability, it would be cheapshot after cheapshot, everybody would think there a tough guy.   So why not just ban boxing and the UFC too? 

There's no better hockey than playoff hockey, where you see very, very few fights.  A this point is just slows down the game and actually takes out the excitement.  There's plenty of other avenues if you want to watch combat sports; boxing and MMA in particular are ubiquitous, so watch 'em of you want to see a fight.  If you want to see great hockey eliminate the fighting.  In fact fighting is just counterproductive to what the league promotes as 'the fastest game on earth' by slowing it down.  At this point it's just dumb.  The league doesn't exist just to keep subpar athletes employed; which most 'enforcers' in the league are.

The game at it's zenith was back in the eighties when you had the perfect blend of finesse and physical play that, yes, included lots of fights.  Every poll they have has fans overwhelmingly supportive of fighting in hockey so your clearly in the minority with your ice capade fascination.   How many fans do you see sitting on there hands when Thornton or Lucic drop the gloves?

Fighting has its place in hockey. There is an internal code of honor. Back in the 60's-70's--and prior to those decades mentioned-- everyone fought as an initiation into the sport. Remembers Bobby Orr as an 18 yr. old and a veteran decided top take a 'run' at the kid. Orr pummeled thveto learn and earned his NHL 'working card'. More importantly it appears that NHL Corporation is running the NHL more and more. Executives who perhaps never played the game. Institutions from fast food, schools, media outlets, etc..Ah have a steadfast formula on how to run business. In the process we lose individuality. After all, men,adults, should be responsible for the actions they decide to take.

I'm tired of the comments "it's part of the game".  Hockey is the only sport which tolerates fighting and it's only the NHL which allows it.  Fighting is not allowed on any level of hockey or the olympics. So why does the NHL tolerate it- because it appeals to a certain base mentality that we see in such "sports" as cage fighting and WWW.

At it's best hockey is a beautiful sport with speed, grace and skill. The NHL should be promoting these qualities instead of violence.

The fights are for the droolers, the over 30 boys wearing stars' sweaters. The European game is far faster and more exciting. (would you rather watch Thornton fight or Seguin undress a defenseman? The answer speaks to both your level of maturity and understanding of the game).

Even the college game is more exciting though nowhere near the skill level. Why? No slowdowns because of fights.

How to prevent undo cheapshots without enforcers? Easy. You nail someone with what is determined to be a cheap shot and he is injured to the extent that he can't play? Neither do you until he comes back (and you don't get paid). Career-ending injury (Savard?). Two careers end. End of problem. Even Neanderthals think...of course the teams wouldn't need or want Neanderthals over highly skilled players.

BTW - I think I once held the NCAA record for penalty minutes in one game by a goal-tender. I later grew up (sort of)  :)

If the league really wanted to provide pure hockey, a sport of balance, speed and (yes, even) grace, it could accomplish this goal easily. First fight, a week's suspension. Second fight, a month's suspension. Third, the rest of the season. Fourth, lifetime ban. The fact is, as the comments above show, fighting exists because hockey's Neanderthal fans want to see it. It doesn't score goals or provide any positive enhancement to the game — just sanctioned violence for moronic fans. When my son was a goalkeeper in youth hockey back in the 80s, the league organized a field trip to Boston Garden to see the Bruins play the Sabres. What sticks indelibly in my mind was the blood on the ice after the Bruins spent the entire afternoon beating up the Sabres' "enforcer," a black player. What could be more entertaining for the South Bostonians who bitterly fought busing and desegregation — fighting and overt racism combined. My son was as horrified as I was, and that was his last season playing hockey. He quit on his own, and I was proud of him for doing so. No organized activity which makes a designated place for thugs should ever be called "sport."

The New York Times ran a 3 part article not too long ago about concussions featuring Derek Boogaard. It cited the work done by Boston University in concussion research as noted above. I had hoped that the article might spur some serious discussion about the issue by the NHL. Wrong. It seems like the NHL is content to ignore the problem, in spite of the increasing number of lawsuits that are bound to happen as the result of their failure to act.

Numerous methods to eliminate the violence exist. Hockey is a great sport and should be separate from fighting. We can change. We can do better.

Once again , a person that doesn't pay his way into the games makes this statement.

Where is all the fan lobbying against it? There is danger in many aspects of pro sports,

but they are in entertainment business. It seems like to speak out agianst it now is " the thing to do"

bacuse of the emphasis and recognition of concussions in pro sports, however very few are incurred in fights,

most happen as a result of hits and body contact. Find another cause Christopher, maybe gun control?

This apologistic society we live in needs to relax. Does fighting have long term effects on the brain? Yah...if you loose. If the fans want fights, and the players are aware of the risks...then drop the gloves and go to work.