FIGHTING IN HOCKEY: C'mon, let's drop the gloves and settle this once and for all.

Hockey. The sport where emotions run higher than a pile of 8 year olds on a sugar rush, and where the line between "competitive spirit" and "borderline assault" is often hilariously blurry. But let’s not sugarcoat it: the heart of hockey, the thing that truly separates it from the NBA, NFL, MLB, MLS, Tennis, Golf, any form of motorsports, is one simple, glorious, and incredibly dangerous tradition.

Fighting. You can’t have a true hockey game without a little bit of chaos, right?

Let’s start with the showdown between USA-Canada at the 4 Nations Tournament, a perfect answer to yet another boring All Star weekend. If you didn’t catch it, you missed a symphony of emotion—guys dropping gloves and getting ready to square off as the tension in the arena was so thick, you could cut it with a hockey stick. Three fights in the first 9 seconds has to be one of the more entertaining records that will be talked about for generations.

Honestly, the 4 Nations Tournament makes NFL, NBA, and MLB All-Star games look like a pillow fight in a daycare. The stakes in these international matchups are real, not some showy, unnecessary weekend where players pretend to be competitive for the cameras.

With that said, let’s get into the Top 5 Reasons Why Fighting is Necessary in Hockey, and the Top 5 Reasons Why It Absolutely Shouldn’t Be Allowed.

Buckle up, buttercup, because this is about to get ugly—and I mean that in the most entertaining way possible.

Reggie Dunlap will be proud.

Top 5 Reasons Why Fighting Is Absolutely Necessary in Hockey

It’s the Emotional Release Hockey Deserves


You know what sets hockey apart from all the other sports? The raw emotion. The intensity. The ferocity. The pure, unfiltered testosterone that makes everyone from fans to players feel like they’re about to explode. Now, if you’re going to demand that much energy, what do you think is going to happen? A fight. I mean, when you’ve been body-checked into the boards so hard your ancestors can feel it, and the ref doesn’t call a penalty? Someone's got to step up and say, "Enough is enough." That’s what fighting’s all about. It’s like the emotional release of a pressure cooker—the team, the players, and even the fans need it. Otherwise, we’re all just left in a heap of tension and confusion, wondering what happened to the actual game.


The Suspense is DELICIOUS.


Forget playoff overtime; forget buzzer-beaters; forget home runs in the 9th inning. When a player drops the gloves in hockey, it's like the entire world pauses. Everyone in the stadium holds their breath. Are they going to land a punch? Will someone’s helmet fly off? Is there going to be a sucker punch that sends the crowd into a frenzy? Who will fall first and who gets the better helmet rip? The suspense is unbearable. It’s like waiting for the next season of Stranger Things—you just know something big is going to happen. No other sport gives you that level of unpredictability.


All-Star Games Are a Joke, But Fighting Gives You Real Drama


Let’s be honest here: All-Star games in other sports are a waste of time. The NFL has flag football, which has all the intensity of a light jog. The NBA All-Star Game looks like a glorified game of “who can make the most 3-point shots while pretending to try.” And then there’s MLB, which at least gives us a real game, but the Home Run Derby? That could be just as fun if they put the ball on a tee and let the guys take swings.

But then there’s hockey. The 4 Nations Tournament? That’s a different beast. It’s not about how cool your dunk is or how fast you can run. It's about the soul-crushing hits, the jaw-rattling checks, and oh yes, the glorious fights. The All-Star Games in other sports are like a nice, cushy pillow fight. Hockey's "All-Star Game" is a full-contact, blood-pumping spectacle, complete with punches, pride, and players who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. It’s like the NFL’s flag football game trying to compete with a full-contact NFL game where everyone’s main goal is to destroy you.


It Keeps the Goons in Check


Yes, fighting is often seen as a "police" mechanism in hockey. Enforcers, aka the tough guys, are there to keep the game from turning into complete chaos. Without fights, you get the dirty hits, the cheap shots, the "accidental" slashes to the knees. Fighters are there to keep the game honest. You mess with one player, you’re messing with the whole team. You try to cheap-shot Sidney Crosby, and suddenly, you’ve got an entire bench of angry Canadians on your tail. Sometimes, this is what makes the game not just safe, but fair. And honestly? It makes the game so much more interesting.


It’s Part of the Culture


This one’s simple: hockey without fighting isn’t really hockey. It’s like pizza without cheese, like hamburgers without beef, like every other sport where players just... don’t fight. It’s part of the culture. People tune in for the slick skating, the breathtaking goals, and, yes, the fights. You can’t just erase this tradition, much like you can’t just “remove” an iconic moment from history. It’s been part of the sport forever, and no amount of rule changes will take away that primal, “let’s get it on” excitement that only fighting can deliver.


Which leads us to the inevitable Top 5 Reasons Why There Should Be No Fighting in Hockey.
(Disclaimer: I am so serious about this. Sure. Right.)

Because Who Needs Excitement?


Seriously, who even wants to see the raw emotion, the adrenaline, the jaw-rattling hits, and those thrilling moments when two grown men decide to throw down like gladiators in the Coliseum? I mean, who needs it? Let's just take all that energy and replace it with another lame “Kiss Cam” moment, Let’s just sit quietly, watch some pristine passing, and nod appreciatively when a goal is scored. Why would we ever want the game to actually explode into something exciting? Boring, clean, and free of passion is the future of hockey. Sign me up for that snoozefest.


Because Safety First! (And Always)


Oh yes, the most important thing is the safety of everyone involved. Forget that hockey is a full-contact sport where players skate at breakneck speeds on blades of ice. Let's put a serious ban on fighting. I mean, we can’t have players accidentally getting punched in the face. They could get a bruise, or worse—a concussion! Oh, the horror. It's way better to have players spend hours recovering from those harmless body checks and high-speed collisions than to let them engage in a little controlled chaos. Yes, let’s make the game less dangerous by removing that tiny, occasional risk of injury. It’s foolproof!


Because Hockey Should Be a Really, Really Boring Ballet


Why would anyone want to see two players get in a scrap when they could instead see two guys elegantly twirling around, showcasing their amazing skating and balance in a synchronized waltz of pure grace? Who doesn’t love an on-ice ballet with no check, no hit, and no sign of real competition? Imagine the beauty of endless, graceful spins and twirls... Wait, that’s figure skating.

Never mind.


Because Kids Can’t Learn From It


Think of the children! They’re all watching, and they might just get the crazy idea that fighting is acceptable behavior when they’re frustrated or angry. You wouldn’t want to teach them how to stand up for themselves or deal with opponents, right? Much better to let them grow up in a world where their only emotional outlet is telling someone how they feel in a 300-page essay. Yeah, let’s have everyone be really good at writing passive-aggressive emails instead.


Because We Should Totally Trust the NHL to Be a Non-Controversial, Boring League


Imagine a world where the NHL is as thrilling as watching your dog nap. No fights, no hits, just endless minutes of skate, pass, shoot... repeat. We would have so much to not talk about on social media! No highlight reels. No fist-pumping, no shouting at the TV. Just, well, nothing. We could all go back to watching actual paint dry. What a dream.


So there you have it. Fighting in hockey is like every other relationship in your life. It’s complicated. Some days, you love it. Some days, you wish it would just go away and let you enjoy the real action.

But let’s be real: without a good scrap every now and then, where would we be?

Probably watching flag football.



Oh, NFL, you are SO boring,

Ed Berliner has spent the better part of his adult life covering every single sport known to man, and he has never wavered in his love for hockey (and the Boston Bruins). Please SUBSCRIBE to the newsletter "Shakedown Street" for more excellent commentaries such as this, and get in touch with Ed to guest on your show and speak the honest truth about everything in sports.

Drop him a line at fuzzydogsproductions@gmail.com.