Proposed Changes to Fights in the NHL – Good or Bad?

I’ve tried to avoid writing about it because I wanted to see where this was going to go but now that it’s everywhere, I have to jump in to the discussion.   At the annual NHL GM meetings, the league managers had some recommendations and I’m not sure how I feel about them.  They want to curb fighting, which I understand since they want to minimize injuries (particularly concussions and other head injuries), and have proposed some changes that I’m sure fans will have a strong reaction to.

From TSN:

The GMs have proposed that a 10-minute misconduct penalty be given to players who engage in staged fights right after a faceoff. They’d also like to see the instigator rule be more strictly enforced, particularly in cases where a player wearing a visor initiates a fight or a player drops the gloves after a teammate has been bodychecked.

There has been renewed interest in changing some of the rules after the death of Don Sanderson earlier this year.  The 21-year-old Ontario senior men’s league defenceman was in a coma for three weeks after hitting his unprotected head on the ice (his helmet came off during the fight).

Apparently, out of the first 500 fights this season, 108 happened right after a face-off while 118 came in instances where a player was responding to a teammate getting hit.  If the proposed rule changes are accepted, they will be implemented next season.

TSN used an example that really brought it home for me.  Read this:

Under the proposed rules, Ottawa Senators forward Jason Spezza would have received 19 minutes on one play for his actions in a game last week. Spezza fought Calgary’s Dion Phaneuf in response to a clean hit on Dany Heatley and would essentially be given four penalties for that next season – two minutes for instigating, two minutes for instigating with a visor, five minutes for fighting and an automatic 10-minute misconduct.

Uhhh… To lose a player for almost a full period for a fight is a little crazy to me but what do I know?  Gotta love Brian Burke’s reaction: "If I’m the GM in Ottawa my response is we will take that penalty," he said. "We will kill that penalty if it is a star player.”  He also said that he “doesn’t mind his players instigating fights as retribution for other things that happen during a game. He’s among the group that views fighting as a way for players to police themselves on the ice.”

Montreal Canadiens forward, Georges Laraque, is not impressed.  "All of their recommendations are a joke!" Laraque said. "Stupidest thing ever!  I think it’s a joke. They might as well take fighting out of the NHL…fighting won’t be safer; it will be eliminated because an added 10 minute misconduct is too much."  He went on to say: "I’m aware of the criticism I will face for speaking up and being vocal. I’m trying to protect the other guys. I’m at the end of my career, for me it doesn’t matter. I’m for safety, but not the elimination of fighting and these recommendations are leading to that."

Laraque feels that they should have looked more at improving helmets as a way to keep players safe.  I agree with that but I guess those types of changes would have cost money.  I also wonder if these types of rule changes are going to result in more cheap shots on the ice which, unfortunately, can lead to injuries as well. 

What do you think?  Are the proposed changes a good idea?  What changes would you make?

image: TSN