Fighting in ice hockey Fighting in ice hockey is an established tradition of the sport in North America , with a long history involving many levels of amateur and professional play and including some notable individual fights . Although a definite source of criticism , it is a considerable draw for the sport , and some fans attend games primarily to see fights . Fighting is usually performed by one or more enforcers , or " goons " — players who are typically better at fighting than hockey — on a given team and is governed by a complex system of unwritten rules that players , coaches , officials , and the media refer to as " the code " . Some fights are spontaneous , while others are premeditated by the participants . While officials tolerate fighting during hockey games , they impose a variety of penalties on players who engage in fights . Unique to North American professional team sports , the National Hockey League ( NHL ) and most minor professional leagues in North America do not eject players outright for fighting but major European and collegiate hockey leagues do . Therefore , the vast majority of fights occur in the NHL and other North American professional leagues . Physical play in hockey , consisting of allowed techniques such as checking and disallowed techniques such as elbowing , high - sticking , and cross - checking , is inextricably linked to fighting . Those who defend fighting in hockey say that it helps deter other types of rough play , allows teams to protect their star players , and creates a sense of solidarity among teammates . The debate over allowing fighting in ice hockey games is ongoing . Despite its potentially negative consequences , such as heavier enforcers ( or " heavyweights " ) knocking each other out , some administrators are not considering eliminating fighting from the game , as some players consider it essential . Additionally , the majority of fans oppose eliminating fights from professional hockey games . However , considerable opposition to fighting exists and efforts to eliminate it continue . History . Fighting has been a part of ice hockey since the sport ' s rise in popularity in 19th century Canada . There are a number of theories behind the integration of fighting into the game , the most common of which being that the relative lack of rules in the early history of hockey encouraged physical intimidation and control . The implementation of some features , such as the blue lines in 1918 , actually encouraged fighting due to the increased level of physical play . Creation of the blue lines allowed forward passing , but only in the neutral zone . Therefore , puck handlers played at close quarters and were subject to a great deal of physical play . The emergence of enforcers , who protected the puck handlers and fought when necessary , followed shortly thereafter . In 1922 , the NHL introduced Rule 56 which formally regulated fighting , or " fisticuffs " as it was called in the official NHL rulebook . Rather than ejecting players from the game , as was the practice in amateur and collegiate hockey , players would be given a five - minute major penalty . Rule 56 and its language also filtered down to the minor professional and junior leagues in North America . Promoters such as Tex Rickard of Madison Square Garden , who also promoted boxing events , saw financial opportunities in hockey fights and devised marketing campaigns around the rivalries between various team enforcers . In the current NHL rulebook , the archaic reference to ' fisticuffs ' has been removed ; fighting is now governed under Rule 47 in the NHL rulebook . Referees are given considerable latitude in determining what exactly constitutes a fight and what penalties are applicable to the participants . Significant modifications from the original rule involve penalties which can be assessed to a fight participant deemed to have instigated the fight and additional penalties resulting from instigating a fight while wearing a face - shield . Although fighting was rarer from the 1920s through the early 1960s , it was more brutal than it is today . Star players were also known to fight for themselves since fewer professional teams existed and competition was fierce for roster spots ; therefore enforcer - like players ( who usually possess very limited overall skill sets ) did not typically make professional teams . However , with the NHL expansion in the late 1960s allowing more players to chances for roster spots and the emergence of star players like Wayne Gretzky , enforcers became more common . Also , the rise of the " Broad Street Bullies " in the 1973 - 74 and 1974 - 75 Philadelphia Flyers popularized fighting in the NHL . The average number of fights per game rose above 1 . 0 during the 1980s . Many teams signed enforcers to protect and fight for smaller offensive stars . Since the 1970s , three rules have curtailed the number and scope of fights in the NHL . In 1977 , the league created the " Third Man In " rule which attempts to eliminate the bench - clearing brawl by providing for the ejection of the first player that joins a fight already in progress . Another rule automatically suspends the first player from each team that leaves the bench to join a fight when it is not their shift . As of the 2006 – 07 season , the " Instigator " rule , which adds an additional two - minute minor penalty to the player who starts a fight , has contributed to the decline of fighting in the NHL . As of the 2006 – 07 season , the average is just over . 61 fights per game . Rules and penalties . Fighting is illegal in the NHL , the North American junior leagues , and other North American professional minor leagues , where a five - minute major penalty is given . What separates these leagues from other hockey leagues and nearly all other sports is that they do not eject players simply for participating in a fight . However , fighting is punishable by ejection in Minor Hockey , College and European leagues , and in international and Olympic competition . The rulebooks of the NHL and other professional leagues contain specific rules for fighting . These rules state that at the initiation of a fight , both players must drop their sticks so as not to use them as a weapon . Players must also " drop " or shake off their protective gloves in order to fight bare - knuckled ( essentially , " throwing down the gauntlet " ) , as the hard leather and plastic of hockey gloves would increase the effect of landed blows . Players must also heed a referee warning to end a fight once the opponents have been separated . Failure to adhere to any of these rules results in an immediate game misconduct penalty and the possibility of fines and suspension from future games . In many leagues , linesmen will permit a fight between two players to run its course until one or both players end up on the ice . Linesmen will actively try to break up fights that are one - sided , where one player gains an advantage , where more than two participants are involved , or in situations involving multiple fights . In the NHL , when a player is fined , their lost pay goes towards the NHL emergency assistance fund . A fined coach ' s lost pay goes to the NHL Foundation . North American professional leagues . In the NHL , American Hockey League , ECHL , CHL , International Hockey League , and other notable minor leagues , officials punish combatants with five - minute major penalties for fighting ( hence the phrase " five for fighting " ) . A player is automatically ejected and suspended if the player tries to leave the bench to join a fight , and is also automatically ejected for using weapons of any kind ( such as using a skate to kick an opponent , using a stick to hit an opponent , or wrapping tape around one ' s hands , or even spitting ) , as they can cause serious injury . A player who receives two instigator penalties or participates in three fights in a single game is also ejected automatically . Furthermore , his coach can be suspended up to ten games for allowing players to leave the bench to join a fight . A player who commits three major penalties ( including fighting ) during a game is automatically ejected , suspended , and fined . A player ejected for three major penalties in a game , or for use of weapons , cannot be replaced for five minutes . In 2003 , the ECHL added an ejection , fine , and suspension of an additional game for any player charged as an instigator of a fight during the final five minutes of the third period or any overtime . The NHL and AHL adopted the rule in 2005 – 06 , and the NHL includes a fine against the ejected player ' s head coach . European , Collegiate , and Olympic . In Division I & III NCAA hockey , the fighters are given a Game Disqualification , which is an ejection from the game and a suspension for as many games as the player has accrued Game Disqualifications during the course of a season . For example , if a player engages in a fight having already received a Game Disqualification earlier in the season , they are ejected from that game and suspended for their team ' s next two games . This automatic suspension has made fighting in college hockey relatively rare . Fighting is strictly prohibited in Olympic ice hockey and in European professional hockey leagues . The international rules ( by IIHF ) specify in the rule 528 – " Fisticuffs or Roughing " the following penalties ( among others ) : Enforcers . The role of " enforcer " on a hockey team is unofficial . Enforcers occasionally play regular shifts like other players , but their primary role is deterring opposing players from rough play . Coaches often send enforcers out when opposing enforcers are on the ice or any time when it is necessary to check excessively physical play by the opposing team . Enforcers , particularly those with questionable playing skills , can be colloquially referred to as goons . Causes . There are many reasons for fights during a hockey game . Some reasons are related to game play , such as retaliation , momentum - building , intimidation , deterrence , attempting to draw " reaction penalties " , and protecting star players . There are also some personal reasons such as retribution for past incidents , bad blood between players , and simple job security for enforcers . Game - related reasons . Of the many reasons for fighting , the foremost is for retaliation . When players engage in play that members of the opposing team consider unscrupulous , a fight can ensue . On rare occasions , the fight may be between the assailant and the victim or between the assailant and an enforcer from the victim ' s team , but most of the time the fight is between any two opposing enforcers . Fights that occur for retaliation purposes can be in immediate response to an on - ice incident , to incidents from earlier in the game , or to actions from past games . Enforcers who intend to start a fight have to consider their timing due to the Instigator rule . For example , putting the opposing team on a power play due to penalties incurred from fighting is less advisable when the game is close . Enforcers sometimes start fights to build game momentum and provide a psychological advantage over the opposing team . These fights usually involve two enforcers , but may involve any player who is agitating the opposition . This type of fight raises morale on the team of the player who wins , and often gets the home crowd into the game as well . For that reason , it can also be a gamble to start a fight for momentum ; if an enforcer loses the fight , the momentum can swing the wrong way . Intimidation is an important element of a hockey game and some enforcers start fights just to intimidate opposing players in hopes that they will refrain from agitating skilled players . For example , in the late 1950s , Gordie Howe helped establish himself as an enforcer by defeating Lou Fontinato , a notable tough guy who tallied over 1 , 200 penalty minutes in his career . Fontinato suffered a broken nose from the fight . After that incident , Howe got a lot more space on the ice and was able to score many goals over the span of his career because he intimidated other players . Conversely , games in European professional leagues are known to be less violent than North American games because fighting is discouraged in Europe by ejection and heavy fines . Since the penalties for fighting are so severe , the enforcers are less able to intimidate opposing players with fighting and said players take more liberties on the ice . For teams that face each other frequently , players may fight just to send the message to the opposing players that they will be the target of agitation or aggression in future games . Teams that are losing by a considerable margin often start these fights near the end of the game when they have nothing to lose . Enforcers may start fights with more skilled players to draw what is called a " reaction penalty " , an undisciplined reaction to aggressive play on the part of the enforcer . This practice is also known to be difficult due to the Instigator rule . Another reason is the protection of star players . Over the history of hockey , many enforcers have been signed simply to protect players like Gretzky , who was protected by Semenko , McSorley and others , and Brett Hull , who was protected by Chase and others . The NHL averaged twice as many fights during Gretzky ' s prime with the Edmonton Oilers than it did during the 1970s . Personal reasons . Many young enforcers need to establish their role early in their career to avoid losing their jobs . Due to the farm systems that most professional hockey leagues use , enforcers who get a chance to play at the level above their current one ( for example , an American Hockey League player getting a chance to play in an NHL game ) need to show other players , coaches , and fans that they are worthy of the enforcer role on the team . There are also times when players and even entire teams carry on personal rivalries that have little to do with individual games ; fights frequently occur for no other reason . An infamous rivalry that produced many fights was between the Detroit Red Wings and the Colorado Avalanche during the 1990s . Efforts to ban fighting . Criticism of fighting in ice hockey typically arises after acts of violence committed during fights are singled out in the media . For example , on March 21 , 2007 , Colton Orr of the New York Rangers fought with Todd Fedoruk of the Philadelphia Flyers and ended up knocking him unconscious . The Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine announced in " Position Statement " in 1988 that “ Fighting does cause injuries , which range from fractures of the hands and face to lacerations and eye injuries . At present , it is an endemic and ritualized blot on the reputation of the North American game . ” . Fedoruk already had titanium plates in his face from a fight earlier in the season with Derek Boogaard . The resulting media coverage of the incident renewed calls for a fighting ban . Some players acknowledge that there is no harm in discussing the issue ; however , most players and administrators continue to insist that fighting stay as a permanent element of organized ice hockey . Some league administrators , such as NHL senior vice - president and director of hockey operations Colin Campbell , have been circulating and considering the idea of banning fighting in response to incidents such as the Fedoruk - Orr fight . Some sports journalists have been articulating the idea with increasing frequency during the 2006 – 07 NHL season that fighting adds nothing to the sport and should be banned . Among the reasons they cite are that it is unsportsmanlike , is a " knee - jerk " reaction that detracts from the skillful aspects of the game , and that it is simply a waste of time . Opponents of fighting cite that international and college hockey , which both harshly penalize fighting with suspensions , lack the incidents or " stick work " violence proponents claim to fear , and question what it is about North American professional ice hockey players — unique to major professional team sport — that renders them incapable of controlling themselves on the ice without fighting . NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman at 2007 press conference broadcast on CBC Sports said “ Fighting has always had a role in the game . . . from a player safety standpoint , what happens in fighting is something we need to look at just as we need to look at hits to the head . But we ' re not looking to have a debate on whether fighting is good or bad or should be part of the game . ” . Community members often become involved in the debate over banning fighting . In December 2006 , a school board trustee in London , Ontario attended a London Knights game and was shocked by the fighting and by the crowd ' s positive reaction to it . This experience led him to organize an ongoing effort to ban fighting in the Ontario Hockey League , where the Knights compete , by attempting to gain the support of other school boards and by writing letters to OHL administrators . On the advice of its Medical Health Officer , the Middlesex - London Health board has supported recommendations to ban fighting across amateur hockey and to increase disciplinary measures to ensure deterrence . The first known death directly related to a hockey fight occurred when Don Sanderson of the Whitby Dunlops , a top - tier senior amateur team in Ontario ' s Major League Hockey , died in January 2009 , a month after sustaining a head injury during a fight : Sanderson ' s helmet came off during the fight , and when he fell to the ice , he hit his head . His death renewed calls to ban fighting among critics . In reaction , the league has stated that they are reviewing the players ' use of helmets . Etiquette . There are several informal rules governing fighting in ice hockey that players rarely discuss but take quite seriously . The most important aspect of this etiquette is that opposing enforcers must agree to a fight , usually via a verbal or physical exchange on the ice . This agreement helps both players avoid being given an instigator penalty , and helps keep unwilling participants out of fights . Enforcers typically only fight each other , with only the occasional spontaneous fight breaking out between one or two opponents who do not usually fight . There is a high degree of respect among enforcers as well ; they will respect a rival who declines a fight because he is playing with injuries , a frequent occurrence , because enforcers consider winning a fight with an injured opponent to be an empty victory . This is also known as granting a " free pass " . Long - standing rivalries result in numerous rematches , especially if one of the enforcers has to decline an invitation to fight during a given game . This is one of the reasons that enforcers may fight at the beginning of a game , when nothing obvious has happened to agitate the opponents . On the other hand , it is bad etiquette to try to initiate a fight with an enforcer who is near the end of his shift , since the more rested player will have an obvious advantage . Another important aspect of etiquette is simply fighting fairly and cleanly . Fairness is maintained by not wearing equipment that could injure the opposing fighter , such as face shields , gloves , or masks , not pulling the opposing fighter ' s jersey over his head , and not assaulting referees or linesmen . Finally , whatever the outcome of the fight , etiquette dictates that players who choose to fight win and lose those fights gracefully . Otherwise , they risk losing the respect of their teammates and fans . Tactics . Fighting tactics are governed by several actual rules , and enforcers also adopt informal tactics particular to their style and personality . One tactic adopted by players is known as " going for it " , in which the player puts his head down and just throws as many punches as he can , as fast as he can . In the process , that player takes as many punches as he delivers , although some of them are to the hard forehead . Fighters usually must keep one hand on their opponent ' s jersey since the ice surface makes maintaining balance very difficult . For this reason , the majority of a hockey fight consists of the players holding on with one hand and punching with the other . Enforcers such as Darren McCarty advocated letting the opposing enforcer get a few punches in before putting in maximum effort , and assert that fighting is as much about knowing how to take a punch as it is about delivering punches . Other examples include Gordie Howe ' s tactic of holding the sweater of his opponent right around the armpit of his preferred punching arm so as to impede his movement . Bob Probert , of the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks , was known to allow his opponents to punch until they showed signs of tiring , at which time he would take over and usually dominate the fight . Some consider long - time Buffalo Sabres enforcer Rob Ray to be the reason that hockey jerseys are now equipped with tie - down straps ( " fight straps " ) that prevent their removal ; he would always remove his jersey during fights so his opponents would have nothing to grab on to . This is commonly referred to as the " Rob Ray Rule " . Officials ' role . Throughout a game , the referee and linesmen have a role in preventing fights through the way they are managing the game - calling penalties , breaking up scuffles before they escalate , etc . Despite an official ' s best efforts , though , fights do occur and once they do , the referee and linesmen have a certain set of responsibilities to follow in order to safely break up the fight . None of these responsibilities are written in any rule book , but often are dictated in officials procedures manuals . In a single fight situation the linesmen will communicate with each other as to which player they will take during the fight , clear out any sticks , gloves , or other equipment that has been dropped and wait for a safe time to enter the fight , which they will do together . If both players are still standing while the linesman enter , the linesman will approach from each side ( never from behind ) , bring their arms over the combatants arms and wrap them around , pushing downwards and breaking the players apart . If the players have fallen , the linesmen will approach from the side ( never over the skates ) , getting in between the two players . One linesman will use his body to shield the player on the bottom from the other player while his partner will remove the top player from the fight . Most linesman will allow a fight to run its course for their own safety , but will enter a fight regardless if one player has gained a significant advantage over his opponent . Once the players have been broken up , the linesmen then escort the players off the ice . During this time the referee will keep other players from entering the fight by sending them to a neutral area on the ice and then watching the fight and assessing any other penalties that are to be assessed . In a multiple fight situation the linesman will normally break up fights together , one fight at a time using the same procedures for a single fight . The linesmen will communicate with each other which fight to break up . In a multiple fight situation the referee will stand in an area of the ice where he / she can have a full view of all the players and will write down - on a pad of paper commonly known as a " riot pad " - the numbers of the players that are involved in the fights , watching for situations that warrant additional penalties , such as players removing opponents helmets , players participating in a second fight , players leaving a bench to participate in a fight , or 3rd players into a fight . The referee will not normally break up a fight unless the linesmen need assistance , or a fight is occurring where a player has gained a significant advantage over the other player , leading to concerns of significant injury . Notable fights and brawls . Some fights have attracted significant media attention due to injuries sustained by one or both participants and other factors .