When asked if the NHL should ban fighting, a 20-player panel was unanimous in its opinion – No.
That finding courtesy ESPN, which polled a diverse group of 20 NHLers about the role of fighting in today’s game. The panel was a varied one, comprised of enforcers, all-stars, North Americans, Europeans, players with mustaches, players without mustaches, etc.
Among the other findings:
----Bruins forward Brad Marchand led the “players I’d like to fight” category.
----Pittsburgh’s Steve MacIntyre was the most terrifying fighter.
----Four of the six enforcers polled said they weren’t taught how to scrap. “You learn more through experience. When I was younger, in the WHL, I lost a lot of fights. That’s how you learn.”
Most important, though, is the fact none of the 20 players wanted fighting banned, a sentiment that’s been confirmed in previous player polls. Now let’s watch a good, old-fashioned brawl: