From: allan@cs.UAlberta.CA (Allan Sullivan)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey
Subject: Re: What the world needs now is an AMERICAN TV CONTRACT.
Date: 10 Apr 92 06:50:55 GMT
Organization: University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

mczody@athena.mit.edu (Michael C. Zody) writes:

>In article <allan.702679696@kitscoty>, allan@cs.UAlberta.CA (Allan Sullivan) writes:

>|> I also base my opinion on a friend of mine, who played hockey first
>|> with the OHL (Junior A), where fighting is allowed, and then University
>|> Hockey, where fighting is not allowed. (I think the player gets suspended
>|> for the season if he fights.) His observation? A lot of players at
>|> the University level were careless with their sticks, because they knew
>|> that the other players were powerless to do anything about it. If
>|> fighting were allowed at the University level, then the players could
>|> quickly end the careless use of sticks right then and there.

>   Actually, the rule is an automatic game misconduct and game suspension.  The
>result is that it's never called.

Is this in American or Canadian college hockey? Just wondering. The
basis may be similar, but most University players in Canada don't go
on to the NHL.

>   The result is that players get used to playing with their sticks up because
>no one ever gets seriously injured... until they get to the NHL.  Coach Rick
>Bowness of the Bruins agrees with me.  He commented earlier this year that
>when he was a player, guys didn't wear helmets and everyone knew to keep the
>stick down.  Now guys wear helmets and I'd guess about 50% of NHL players have
>the visor.  More and more are coming from US colleges where they've been wearing
>the cage.  The result?  Guys don't feel as compelled to keep the stick down and
>you get more injuries.
>   Does fighting help?  I don't really think so.  I mean, don't tell me that
>that guys that play professional hockey are really afraid of anyone else on the
>ice.  However, the advantage of fighting is that when the guys get really mad
>and want to retalliate, it's a lot safer than having them swing their sticks
>at each other.

Actually, you are right - the use of the visor or cage probably does
increase the incidence of high sticking. (Actually, some of the players
who play without a helmet do so because other players tend to be more
cautious around them. Same effect.)

But I have to say, the threat of fighting probably does carry weight,
especially around players who tend to break the rules without
actually looking like they are.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   \  \                   |Allan Sullivan (allan@cs.ualberta.ca)
    \  \                  |Department of Computing Science,
     \  \_______          |University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
      \    ###  \     _   |---------------------------------------------------
       \___###___\   (_)  |My opinions are mine and mine alone.
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"It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the
 credit..."          - U. of A. Golden Bears Hockey Motto (C. Drake)
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