I'll precede my comments by stating that I am a hockey fan, and I am Canadian...

I guess I fall somewhere between Frank and Don as far as the views on the state of the game, and what happened here. Is fighting a required part of the game? No. Is fighting an accepted (albiet penalized) part of the game? Yes. I have enjoyed the beauty of watching the broadcasts of the Olympics in 2002, where the best players in the world played a physical, non-fighting tournament -- it was some of the best hockey ever (the '72 CAN/USSR Summit Series DID have a lot of chippiness, some fighting, and atrocious stickwork, in my view). I would love it if the NHL and other professional leagues could play this wide-open style of hockey.

However, the game of hockey has always had an aggresive side that has included fighting. Does that make it right? Nope, not at all. It is part of the game of today though, and I believe the majority of people involved (owners, players, fans, broadcasters) do not mind that it still exists.

Moving to the cheap shot that got all of this going (performed by a Mr Todd Bertuzzi to the head of a Mr Steve Moore - yes, these guys have names) -- while there IS an agressive mentality in the game, this was NOT part of a fight. This could have occurred in basketball, in soccer/football/rugby, or in baseball (which has many more bench-clearing brawls per season than hockey can dream of). This was a blind-sided punch on an unsuspecting player. The officials immediately stepped in, threw the player out of the game, and he was suspended indefinitely pending a hearing. This took place within 48 hours, and the player was suspended for AT LEAST the remainder of the season including playoffs, and can only be reinstated after meeting with the commissioner of the NHL this summer, who will review all facts including the health of the injured player. He will lose over $500,000 in salary, along with the team being fined $250,000 and losing a premiere player for their playoff run.

Lastly, I will note that Mr Bertuzzi, while definitely an intimidating presence on the team, is not known as a goon, or fighter, or anything in that area -- it was an event that is hugely out of character, but unfortunately still ended up happening. This situation does not revolve around fighting in hockey - it would be comparable to a pitcher throwing a ball far inside to a batter, the batter reacting and rushing the mound, and then clocking the unsuspecting pitcher. I do NOT condone this type of a reaction to ANYTHING, and I would not be surprised if Mr Bertuzzi is charged by the police, but I do feel that this is not strictly about the presence (or absence) of fighting in hockey.

Looking forward to responses...
Brian.