Rule 70 prevents any player who, on a legal line change, comes onto the ice for the expressed purpose of starting a fight. Today, the NHL’s new disciplinarian, Brendan Shanahan, penalized Jean-Francois Jacques of the Anaheim Ducks for that exact offense.
Seriously? Are we going to pretend that players don’t know ahead of time when a fight is going to happen? Okay, I concede that many, and perhaps most, fights are somewhat spontaneous due to the intensity of the game. But, I contend that there are many, many times where a fight is arranged, whether by a nod or one player whispering sweet nothings at a faceoff. So, when there is evidence of a premeditated fight, should that not also be considered in the same light?
Scratch that, I change my mind. This is a non-issue for me because I think fighting, ALL fighting, should be strictly banned from hockey. Okay, I am probably be in the minority here, but it is a part of the game I just don’t care for. Maybe at one time I did, but now it is just a nuisance.
