Raptor, if you think hockey's violent, check out the history of Canada's "other" national sport - the only one that's earned us more Olympic gold than the rest of the world combined, and the predecessor of ice hockey - Lacrosse.

The game was often played tribe against tribe, or village against village, with as many as 1000 individuals taking part in a wild mêlée that likely resulted in serious injuries to some players, and perhaps even a fatality. These aggressive tribal contests were more a test of endurance and manhood than a game, and were preceded by up to two weeks of rigorous training.

Now just imagine a hockey rink with no sidelines and up to a 1000 players on the ice, all hell-bent to prove or defend their "tribal honor". What a pretty picture, huh? No wonder Canadians are so manly and rigorous!

;-)   daylia