Quote:
Originally Posted by gstelmack
Except that in the example above, if the guy doesn't care about getting his face messed up, how is this a deterrent? How far back are we going, because I still remember Scott Stevens knocking Ron Francis (and basically the Hurricanes because of it) out of the playoffs before they really started cracking down on enforcers over the last few years.
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How do we know if a guy like Tootoo, Cooke, or Avery is bothered by getting his face filled in when they are protected like the Pope after one of their "hit 'n' run" jobs?
About Stevens...are you really putting him and that hit into the same category as Tootoo, Cooke, and Avery? Seriously? That hit wasn't illegal until last season so we're talking about a clean hit, at the time, where Stevens was ready to drop the mitts with anybody who took exception. He's the exact opposite of the douches we're trying to eliminate from hockey today...in fact, I'd love to see him in his prime out there on a shift against Avery.
Don't get me wrong, fighting could be gone from the game tomorrow and I'd probably enjoy the game just as much, if not better. But until ALL the players respect each other enough not to play like idiots then there has to be "real" consequences for those idiots. I'm sorry, but I don't think it's suspensions or fines because the money these guys make still doesn't justify getting a "real" job versus only getting half of a paycheck and only playing half the season when they could be suckers like you and I and working 40 hours a week making peanuts.