Violence and Fighting in the National Hockey League
Uploaded by sls465 on Apr 19, 2007
Violence and Fighting in the National Hockey League
Fights don’t just break out. Everything happens for a reason, including two guys trying to bash the other’s brain in. The most obvious is when someone on the other hockey team takes a cheap shot at one of the star players. Some nights you can actually feel a fight brewing, almost from the opening face-off. Both teams are running at each other, and it’s just a matter of time before fists and elbows start flying.
A lot of times, fighting is a true game tactic. The Chicago Blackhawks’ star enforcer, Bob Probert has been labeled as a tough guy. He is used as a weapon to get his team back into the game. When the team is down a couple of goals, he is sent out to cause spark and get the crowd back into the game. The only strategy is hit, hit and hit. Now the guys are so much smarter, bigger and stronger, and they actually work on being better fighters. However, the smartest, the biggest, and the strongest one is Probert. The other enforcers in the NHL do not compare to him. Bob Probert is the best enforcer in the league because he has speed, balance, and grit.
A hockey fight is one of the toughest things in sports. In a good 30-second fight, the two guys will land more punches than in a twelve round boxing match on pay-per-view. The importance of speed is significant during the Chicago versus Toronto game, on April 15, 1998 (1). His opponent is Tie Domi; perhaps hockey’s most hated enforcer and Probert’s frequent adversary throughout the 90’s in some of the nastiest fights in hockey history. Not to mention that he is at a height disadvantage in comparison to Probert. As the fight begins, Domi launches an attack, dropping his gloves and landing a combination of punches on Probert’s face. Although, he landed the first punch he is not as quick as the Blackhawks’ enforcer is. The surprise attack only provokes Probert- like poking a bear with a cocktail fork. The enraged winger throws a haymaker at Domi’s head. As Domi retrieves he pulls him back by his jersey and uses his head like a speed bag, landing an unbelievable 35 punches. Domi’s blood-smeared face looks like he has survived a head-on auto crash. Probert’s quickness was the...