Alot of people think fighting in hockey is just about two meat heads who feel like kicking the crap out of each other but it has much more to do with intimidation, defending your team mates and getting into the other teams head.
In the '70s and ’80s, when bench-clearing brawls were a regular occurrence in the NHL, you didn’t dare turn down an invitation to drop the gloves.
But slowly the game is changing.
It wasn’t too long ago when the role of the "Hockey Goon" was a celebrated and integral role on most NHL teams.
Players could adjust attitudes and turn the momentum of a game with the drop of their gloves.
Goons were also called upon to protect the star player or to fire up the team when it fell behind.
The stereotypical goon of the old time hockey was a guy who wasn’t a particularly good hockey player, but he was big and tough and earned a ton of penalty minutes.
He was on what was called the "checking line," the line that put the physical players against the skillful players on the other team.
They tried to slow them down with extreme physical play.
If you saw that both team's checking lines were out on the ice you knew that something was about to happen.
Believe it or not there is an honor code, an unwritten law, when it comes to fighting. First, there is a conversation between the two combatants, then the gloves drop and it's on.
The game of hockey has changed however, and we don't have that big guy, an enforcer, a goon, behind our superstars to make sure that they could do what they do best without being brutalized.
In today's game, it's a little different.
The role of the goon has not aged well, but there is definitely a designated "tough guy" on every team.
A player in today's NHL has to be fast, skillful and physical, even the enforcers.
Hockey fights remain prevalent today mainly because guys stick up for themselves and for their teammates.
Some of todays stars have taken on that double roll.
They can skate, pass and score, and they can throw down if need be.
The perfect example of this type of player has to be Jerome Iginla.
He does it all, game in and game out, and he does it well.
I think 'The Complete Package' is a suitable name for him.
In todays NHL there is a level of blatant disregard for opponents’ well-being that has never been there before.
There are too many hits to the head and too many players getting hit from behind to ignore.
It's great that hockey is a tough physical game, but when players start getting hurt or their careers are put in jeopardy, it’s time to fight.
Of course, some hockey fights are still waged to give a confidence boost to a lagging team, and there are some guys who simply don't like each other.
Hockey is becoming more and more about power plays and penalty killing, and the remaining handful of goons in the NHL know they are rapidly heading toward extinction.
As the goons are being removed from the game we are going to see more and more disrespect on the ice for the star players.
What can the NHL do about all the dangerous hits we’ve seen this season?
Get rid of instigator penalties and allow the tough guys to police the ice on their own?
Enforcers aren't able to fulfill their role when they are always worried about the instigator rule.
The instigator rule needs to go so that responsible enforcers can be effective.
Many in the media currently label enforcers as goons with their fights being looked at as staged sideshow acts.
Enforcers currently are stuck fighting each other more often for momentum reasons than as a deterrence.
Although something must be done to protect the player from vicious head shots, we don't need anymore drastic rule changes to have these guys removed from the game. Thse wheels are already greased and in motion.
Guys like Brashear, Boogaard, Godard, Orr, etc. aren't as common as they used to be.
Look at 5-10 years ago when every team seemed to have at least one goon on their squad. (pun intended)
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Today, most teams have players who are considered goons, but 75% of 'em can actually play some hockey, and aren't there just to fight.
Carcillo, Lucic and Burrish are perfect examples.
But, there is also an entertainment factor in hockey fights.
People love violence, especially in sports.
Hockey provides that adrenaline rush every night.
The fans love it when two tough guys square off.
They get off when their guy pummels the other guy.
It somehow makes the game more memorable to a fan if it includes an old fashioned ass beating at center ice.
It's a sad but true reality that the old school heavy weights no longer exist, but everything evolves, doesn't it?
We've come a pretty long way since the days of the cave man, haven't we?
I'd like to think so, but sometimes I wonder.
The Goon Squad of hockey's past will always be honored, praised and cherished around here, at least by me.
They are after all what helped to make the super stars of hockey's history exactly that, and they didn't have to do it in anyones shadows...
Keywords: Goon Squad Hockey
