One of the most aggressive and blood-thirsty sports is receiving a lot of criticism for its brutality. As twelve players from two opposing teams put all their effort into the fast-paced sport, fans watch in hopes for punches to be thrown and brawls to be started. Even though the fights are seen as horrible, aggressive behavior, they stand for a larger purpose in the game. The fights are very important to the overall flow of the game and require far more strategy than many spectators would expect. Despite the physical and emotional effects fighting in hockey may pose, there are many reasons why fighting is still crucial to the game and many explanations as to why players are taking care of the issue on their own, but further action must be taken to help players both current and retired to protect their health. 

One of the biggest concerns that fighting during the game poses within the sport of hockey, is the lasting physical effects that are inflicted on the players. Fighting became a much larger concern in the public's eye because "the recent deaths of three enforcers highlighted the potential link between head trauma and mental illness and [have] ignited a debate about whether fighting should have a place in the NHL" (Gregory). At the time that this statement was made, Derek Boogaard, a New York Ranger's player had just cut his last season (2010-2011) short due to a concussion that stemmed into larger issues. These larger issues were linked to his untimely passing. The largest concern should be the safety of the players (especially enforcers who are the known fighters in the game.) Enforcers are the ones who are facing the biggest risks of damaging their health. These risks are being noticed by so many people beyond the ice as well. One Canadian news reporter for Global News recaps a professional game saying "Two huge players punched each lights out. One guy's head hit the ice like a hammer" (GlobalToronto). More and more fans and officials are noticing these events during games. Many different enforcers like Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien (former Vancouver Canucks player) and Wade Delak (from the Nashville Predators) have been popping up in the news recently as they become an example of what happens to the players after the brawls on the ice occur. It is not uncommon for these players to suffer from issues like chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) along with concussions. This is an injury that is commonly associated with memory issues, behavioral and personality changes, as well as other severe progressive brain damage due to repetitive hits to the head. There are many studies which have been conducted that now inform about how frequently these traumas occur and that "head trauma in hockey has several causes, which include fighting and direct intentional hits to the head" (Kale). Hockey includes so many differently elements to the game when it comes to playing aggressively and it is fairly easy for a player to receive one of this hits to the head when being checked. Many times the blows to the head are unintentional but they still occur. This is especially a problem when a player is sandwiched between an opponent and the glass as they are checked. When a player is checked in this manner they are feeling force from both the opponent and the glass and can create detrimental issues. The NHL has taken the initiative to to further prevent these injuries and "In recent years the NHL has taken steps to improve player safety, mainly related to head shots. Rule 48 made hits to the head illegal, and suspensions increased to serve as a deterrent" (The Canadian Press). The league is trying to further the safety of the game but still allow the players to have their fights. Regardless these fights can still cause disruptions to the health of a player and can greatly impact the life they live. Medical professionals give advice to players on how to go about day to day living because of the lasting affects that are imposed. Many players are advised to keep a daily journal depending on the severity of their memory issues that may occur if they ever want to recall certain events or later write a memoir. Despite what the medical professionals say about the sport and the impact that fighting and aggression has, the athletes themselves have different views about fighting during the games.

Brandon Prust and Daniel Carcillo are two National Hockey League players who both have expressed their views about how the sport and the aggressive elements have impacted them. In an article that Prust wrote for The Player's Tribune he argues "the NHL needs fighting to keep the game safe" and to keep the game in control of the players (Prust). In a game against Anaheim about a month prior to writing the article, Prust elaborates about something he believes is becoming all-too-common in the game. He believes that players are not always being properly held accountable during the games. He proceeds to explain an instance where one of his fellow teammates was injured during that game by an opponent who had sent Prust's fellow teammate head-first into the glass after making a pass. Although it was the third period, Prust decided to take matters into his own hands and make a point after the referee did not call a penalty on the play that had sent his teammate to the hospital. He sent a message to not just the player but in his eyes to the league that runs can not be made at the best players on the teams or any players for that matter, especially because of the severity of the play. This message was sent via the fight that Prust started against the opponent. Prust further expands on the importance of fighting and that it is not just for the sole purpose of being barbaric and wanting to get physical. It is strategic and can be used to swing the momentum of a game. This can be very helpful if a team is looking to gain courage and dig into their last reserve to finish out a game well. Also, Prust explains that everyone (all the players) in the league takes head injuries very seriously and that cheap shots are not a usual occurrence because "there's a mutual respect between enforcers" (Prust). The players themselves all share a common understanding that the cheap shots will not be tolerated during the games and they look to still send their messages without causing great harm to their opponents. The fights are not about maiming and injuring the opponents but making messages clear.

Daniel Carcillo, a player on the Chicago Blackhawks, addresses in a YouTube video posted on behalf of The Player's Tribune what happens to the players when they end up sustaining injuries. Carcillo was affected in a different way than Prust by fighting. Carcillo spoke about abusing pills in his time of recovery after receiving a concussion during a game. This abuse was in part due to depression that Daniel was dealing with during his time off the ice and away from the sport. He struggled getting back on the ice and leading a sober life after a couple of surgeries that also occurred. The video serves as Carcillo's way to call for a change in the physical help and mental support that the players receive when they have to hang up their skates, whether it is a temporary amount of time or permanently. He spoke of a personal experience as well. He explains what he felt after an NHL veteran and close friend (Steve Montador) was found dead. Carcillo explained how he saw the deterioration of his friend who battled with depression and memory loss that came in part from the game. He describes that Montador had multiple sets of keys for just one lock due to memory issues and believed "he was really worried about the future. Over the years I saw under that deterioration of his mind and I think he must have felt that as well" (Carcillo). There were detrimental tolls that took place with the health of his teammate that ultimately lead to his death. This caused Daniel to ask veterans who he had played with about the exit program that the NHL had and found "not one guy could tell me what it was" (Carcillo). This sparked large concerns about how the health of players were being dealt with by the league. Many players believe that when they tend to fall back from the sport and the less noise that they make after dealing with injuries and issues like these, the better. The death of Steve Montador was not just merely of acquaintance, it was a teammate and a close friend. The death should not be overlooked and players should be able to seek and receive the help they need through those hard times just like any other human being. He addresses the importance of a better exit program as well for the players and wants others (especially officials and managers of the league) to know just how valuable it is to have a good program that consists of more than just a phone call when players are out and dealing with injuries as well as their own mental challenges. Daniel Carcillo believes that "if he had the right help, I think he would still be here with us" (Carcillo). The program needs to be implemented by the NHL in order to better the lives of their athletes.

Despite the challenges that fighting poses on players addressed in the video by Carcillo, brawling is steeply declining from the foreground of professional hockey games. This is happening because the role of an enforcer is not being sought out nearly as much as it once was. Teams are making fighting go away on their own. In the article "Hockey Fights Are Going Away as Necessity Dwindles" author Adam Gretz explains that "as general managers and coaches put more of an emphasis on skill and actual hockey ability throughout their lineup that role is only going to further decrease" (Gretz). The role that Gretz is addressing are the enforcers. Teams are looking to have the best players on their roster and that is no longer including the big players who can throw an effective punch. A player who is able to cut and move the puck down the ice is seen as much more of a beneficial player to have on the team compared to someone who would only be playing short amounts of time to be an intimidator on the ice. There simply is no longer room for a player that cannot keep up with the rest of the pack and players will not be kept just because of their sheer size and aggression that they may bring to the ice. As the NHL sees the decline in the role Charlie Gillis, author of "Last Days of the Brawler" claims that "few hardcore fans seemed to notice last year as the share of games in which fights occurred dipped below 27 per cent, down about a third from averages seen in the 2000s" (Gillis).  These numbers show just how much fighting is on the decline within the NHL and how little notice there is from the fans' perspective. The fights are declining as more players skate on the ice with the intention to play instead of releasing more than necessary amounts of aggression. Despite the decline in the role of the enforcer, "fights are still going to be popular among a significant portion of the NHL's fan base, and they will bring fans out of their seats when they happen" (Gretz). There will always be room for fighting in the professional level of hockey despite the decline the brawls are taking. Fighting is still seen as a crucial part of the game and even if the amount of fights that occur continues to decline it will never become obsolete. The significance that fighting carries in the game will also never go away because of the purpose that it serves.

One of the large purposes fighting serves is for players to police the game on their own and to be able to send a message when an unfair event occurs during the game. This poses one of the greatest questions that is still asked. Is fighting in the sport seen as a moral act even though fights still carry large amounts of weight in the game? Many challenge that fighting is not a socially normal nor acceptable behavior so why should it be allowed on the ice? The question poses a very large gray area between what many would consider "right" and "wrong". When one of the athletes starts a brawl on the ice, "he will be acting by self-discipline, justice, and integrity by not fighting, and on the other, he will be viewed as courageous, loyal, and selfless when he chooses to fight" which allows an individual to make their own opinion about the player's actions during the game (Lewinson). When every individual fan makes their own opinion about the fight that took place there is quite a bit of disagreement and commotion about whether the fight was moral. The only opinions that really matters about the fight that took place are the opinions of the players. They are the ones taking and throwing the punches over the dispute and they are the ones who have to continue to play the rest of the game after a fight occurs, not the fans. A very important point about these brawls that was made by Brandon Prust is "If fighting didn't exist, those guys could skate around all game trying to head-hunt the skill players on the other team with no repercussions. It's not about the fight itself" (Prust). The fights carry large amounts of significance and there are reasons why they happen. As a spectator there should be no room for a fan to decide if the fights were just or not because they usually do not know the whole situation.  Players should be the final opinion as to where or not the fights that occur are moral on a case by case basis.

Without the aggressive nature and fights, hockey would not be the same sport that it is. Brawling in the game is an important part of what occurs on the ice and should continue to have its place in the National Hockey League. From swinging the momentum of the game to players taking matters into their own matters and policing the game, fights serve a great purpose to the players. It is a crucial element to the sport but more attention should be brought to the detrimental effects that occur during the games. The NHL needs to take further steps to improve the programs that they have in place when players are injured. Help should be given beyond just a phone call regardless of the situation. Players should be able to feel like they have the support they need to lace up their skates once more. As the league continues to improve their exit programs there should also be more precautions taken to protect players and prevent head injuries. As the brain traumas and injuries increase so should the precautions to prevent them from continuing to occur. Players should not be afraid to step onto the ice and play to the best of their abilities but yet that is the case. Players are policing the game themselves because many times they find that referees miss important calls that have caused serious injury to these athletes. As the game continues to be played, the athletes should only have to worry about playing to the best of their abilities rather than worrying whether the game will be a battle for their own safety.

