Is hockey becoming a goon sport again?

Anyone agree or disagree?

As a long time fan of hockey, it angers me to see that the league cannot change.  I was watching the Buffalo/Montreal game last night as I was shocked with how violent the game was, the lack of respect was evident.  Borderline after borderline hit, no slowing down when a player is in a bad position near the boards, forearms to the back of the head when a player was on the ice.  That was not hockey, that was MMA.  How can someone let their 5 year old kid watch this?

I like a good hard hitting game, but this stuff is over the top, blatant and embarassing.  I remember right after the lock-out the league called EVERYTHING, many people disliked it, I was supportive of it knowing that the players would simply adjust or find another line of work.  It seems now they are "letting the teams play" (which really means we will let everything go except for a stick swinging incident), refs have their whistles in their pockets and every week a star player is out with a concussion while some sluggish 4th liner earns his living playing "on the edge" (see, plays hard and gets away with the occassional dirty hit, or, pays a $1500 fine if he gets caught).  There needs to be suspensions for lesser acts.  

Crosby has taken a stance with his current concussion problem, and rightfully so; and I hope he plays hardball with the league as only he can.  He is the best player in the game and coming into his prime, how senseless are some of the over-aggressive hits he and other players take?  If anyone can force change it is him, but I don't hold my breath. 

Before Crosby, way back in the 90's, both Roenick and Brett Hull were extremely critical of how dirty the game had become.  I remember in particular Roenick's face beaten and bruised and him going off on Bettman to clean up the game.  Nothing changed for long, as poor play bred success (anyone remember those Devils teams dragging players down, clutching and grabbing their way to the Stanley Cup?). 

The league went maybe a season and a half calling the game extremely tight after the lock-out a few years ago, yes, it seemed ridiculous when a team had 8 power players, but this is what is needed to clean up the game.  Rarely do fans pay big bucks to watch the 4th liners play, they come to see the stars.  It is difficult to promote star players when they are on the D.L.

Sorry for the long rant, but I see this happen too often in the NHL and they are so resistent to change, even though it is for the good of the game and the health of the league and it's members.  Maiming isn't good enough, It will require someone being killed on the ice before the league tries to clean it up.

Thanks for your time.  If anyone wants to respond or add to this, please do so.  I am seeing the signs of the kind of hockey that bothers me and many other fans and I am in disbelief that they do not have the gumption to clean it up. 

I agree with your post but not with Crosby taking a stand.  Shouldn't Crosby have taken a stand when Matt Cooke delivered a brutal hit to Marc Savard?

I much prefer watching the skills of hockey (skating, shooting, passing, scoring) to the physical side of it which slows the speed of the game down to a crawl. However, I'm afraid I may be in the minority. Good rant

With the game getting faster every year, it is impossible to curb all the hits that are occurring on the ice.  Players don't mean to hurt each other, but decisions are made split second and the results are non intentional injuries.

I will tell you what I hate about the game. When a CLEAN hit is delivered, players come to the 'assistance' of the player who got hit. I have NO problem if it is a dirty or questionable hit, but when it's a CLEAN hit, I have a big problem with that.

If someone hit me with a clean check - I'll take the licence plate number and return the favour at a later date - either later in the game, or next time. I don't need anyone to 'stand up' for me.

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back then they were called headaches

lets goon it up

 

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Its like the old nintendo game, you have the skinny guy, medium guy, and big guy... The small skill guys, the guys who are half skill half physical, and the guys who are out there just to goon it up.

 

All of these guys together make up this wonderfull game of hockey. i love me a physical game, some of these guys want to be super fancy with the puck, lay them out. Im not for dirty headshots that knock people out tho

bravo, well said all

Polar_bear, you are referring to the same stuff I saw from Myers when he drilled Gionta.  Gionta fought back as best he could (for a guy his size), asnd then Gomez took a silly retaliation penalty.  This is what happens when refs don't call the game properly, the players get angry and frustrated, all of a sudden you have a guy knocked out because a player lashed out.   The refs have absolutely no control over the game, they let these guys plays a game of prison shinny hockey.  By the way, I am not someone who cheers for the Habs, (as a Leafs fan), but I have to be objective when I see this stuff.

I agree that an enforcer who could lay some damage out is effective without the instigator rule, but what does he do to a player who is smaller and gets away with a vicious hits?  It seems EVERY player is getting away with murder.  Enforcers would generally fight other enforcers and they would do their best to try and plaster the offending player but often a smaller guy will be at fault, and he will not have to go toe to toe with an enforcer (though his star teamate might be a target for some revenge).  I think the league has to say, enough is enough, start fighting the players association and instill bigger suspensions for a broader scope of "unsportmanlike" actions.

Yes, the game is fast, it's competitive and there are going to be some unintentional hits, but, I look at it like everyone looks at high sticks.  As the saying goes "you have to always be in control of your stick".  Often a player will accidentally high stick a player but he gets a penalty regardless.  It should be the same with dangerous hits...accidental or not, you have to pay a price, if not, what is the deterrent?  Players need to know where the boards are and they need to control their motion.

Finally, I have to say that the new "obstruction" strategies employed by defenseman really take away the skill.  If a player dumps a puck in, NOONE should be able to slow him down...if he doesn't have a puck he should not be allowed to be touched...no stick impeding, no hands on arms, no ass in a players path to impede him...no puck, no touch.  As in basketball, you cannot slow a player down from going to the net, nor should this be allowed in hockey unless it is with a check when he has the puck.

As I stated before, for approximately just over a year they were calling the obstruction extremely tight, not anymore.  I did send an email to the league a couple of years after the lockout and the response I received is that the "players were adjusting to the rules", hence, they suggested they were not obstructing.  I beg to differ, the league simply backed down from their objective of enforcing the letter of the law...

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