While watching hockey, 62 percent of die-hard hockey fans observe fighting as a ‘significant part of the game’ (Zelkovich 1). Unaware of the hardships and consequences hockey fighters experience, passionate fans continue to support ruthless fighting in the National Hockey League. As a result of fighting, life-threatening injuries often leave players with a variety of challenges. Fighters, also known as enforcers, receive a slew of brain complications, shattered bones and many alternative setbacks. Fighting in the National Hockey League, while an exciting aspect to the game, must be banned due to the negative effects it causes players and to the game of hockey.
As shown by other skill levels and game styles around the world, that are different …show more content…
Subsequent to extreme head contact, brain related injuries come up often. While concussions create major setbacks for hockey players, the severity of the mutilated organ . Albeit simple concussions last for only seven to ten days, any damage weakens the brain and can never be fully fixed again. In the worst cases, players, such as Geoff Courtnall and Pat LaFontaine, have suffered a mix of grade two and three concussions. (Grade two: Lasts twenty minutes or more and may cause the victim to forget the accident. Grade three: Very sever and the victim may lose consciousness) (Carroll et al. 74) (Carroll et al. 75). Whilst other sports also cause concussions, National Hockey League players are five times more likely to suffer from a concussion than players in the National Football League (Branch 56). Because the brain floats inside the skull, a sudden force to the head can cause the brain to damage other parts inside the body. In the spinal cord, vertebrates can either dislocate from their sockets or break/wear out, therefore becoming useless. Within the inner skull, inadequate walls increase the likelihood of concussions and other brain injuries (Carroll et al. 159). When dealing with head injuries, some succumb to mental problems. One type of mental issue is loss of memory, which often times worsens over time (Branch 142). Although very uncommon, brain complications can bring …show more content…
Death or major injuries are very severe results of fighting and should be looked upon as assault (Wildman 15). Many extreme acts of violence on the ice go untouched, but even the ones that go to court get dismissed. Instead of looking upon fights as a component to the game, fighters should receive similar consequences to as if they fought an opponent off the ice (Wildman 10). Most players fight in order to counterattack at individuals on the opposing team, who have upset them in previous plays (Gillis 2). Declared by Charlie Gillis, a reporter for the Maclean’s magazine, “violence leads to more violence”, and violence in sports often leads to violence in life (2). Fighting makes hockey players mentally less tough because players retaliate to big hits and rough plays, instead of moving on and continuing the flow of the game (Gillis 3). By brawling with rival players, spectators view hockey players as twisted and barbaric-like people. “‘I’ve still got moms and dads that think hockey is a toothless game,’ Skip Prince says, ‘That stereotype still exists”’ (Kennedy 4). Some “enforcers” have become so hypnotized that they defend keeping fighting in the NHL” (Duff