I'm a big fight fan, mma, boxing etc. So some hockey fights pooped up on my YouTube suggestions and I was curious about them. So what I'd like to know now is if these are a legal part of the game or just tolerated, if they are legal what is or isn't allowed in them and what it takes for a ref to stop them
Answers (4)
Hockey fights are legal in the NHL in terms of they wont be arrested. Its an infraction meaning they get penalized with a five minute fighting penalty. Its just like a flag in football. Fights are real in every way in hockey they are not staged like the WWE which a lot of people think they are. Many league officials want to get rid of fighting because it is dangerous many times fights end with one player knocked off balance and most people dont realize your range of mobillity is limited in hockey gear which explains why a lot of players shake of their elbow pad before a fight. When a player swings and misses and falls off balance a lot of time will hit his head on the ice because jerseys are tangled together and leave the player helpless to embrace his fall. Fights are a part of hockey and you see fights happen in hockey games with 5 year olds its part of the nature of the sport. The NHL most likely will not get rid of fighting but they do have rules to protect the players within the fight. Examples are if players take off their own helmet on their own will during a fight they get an extra two minute penalty for Unsportsmanlike. They also have a fight strap which is attached to the back of the jerseys and fastens the the players pants to avoid his jersey being pulled over his head in a fight. If a players strap is not tied down it can also be a two minute penalty. There are other penalties that protect players pre fight. Like second man in which means basically jumping a player which is a five minute major and game mis conduct and an instigation penalty which means you started the fight which is an extra two minute minor penalty.
It in both. If you fight you won't get suspended or a game misconduct penalty. Which means you will be kicked out of the game. But you will get a 5 minute penalty for fighting. There is not a fight in all games. But if you go to 4 hockey games you will probably see at least 1 fight. It really depends on the ref of what it takes for them to break it up. If there is a take down the ref will break it up. And if the ref feels that the fight has gone on long enough they will break it up. If a fight it is just a lot of grabbing and punching. You would not see a guy kick someone. And you are not aloud to use your helmet as a weapon.