[bhurst99]

Oct. 12, 2008

Yeah, I lost my cool. Yeah, it was pretty stupid. But these jokes will get on my nerves quickly.

By now you saw that I got in my first fight. I won my fight with Iowa’s Darryl Bootland with just two punches but it’s not something I’m really proud of. There’s no way I’m going to make the NHL by fighting. The only chance I have of ever making the NHL is as a playmaker and you can’t make plays from the penalty box.

Here’s a dirty secret that fighters never tell you: A fight can be so exhausting you’re pretty much done for the period. Imagine if you went to a mixed martial arts fight, watched the guys wrestle for a minute and then told them to go play hockey. You think they’re going to have much energy left to skate up and down the ice? Good luck with that.

You think a mixed martial arts fight is tough. Give me a break. I’ve heard of guys in hockey fights biting other guys on the ice and players trying to gouge out other players eyes. Try tapping out and see if the linesmen break it up. Some of them refuse to get involved until the punches stop.

There’s no danger in mixed martial arts of a guy damaging a finger or two swinging against someone’s rock hard equipment. I’ve seen some guys mangle their hands punching helmets.

But a good fight can rally a team and give players more space on the ice through intimidation.

Unfortunately, my fight was not a good one.

You see you’re not suppose to get in a fight when you have the puck in a scoring position in the offensive zone. That’s just stupid and that’s exactly what I did.

I was just frustrated because I was on the ice for the first two goals by Iowa and I haven’t had much in the way of scoring chances.

So when Bootland called me on when I had the puck near the top of the circle, I just dropped the gloves.

Our coach Bill Peters was mystified by that decision.

“Hurst, you know it was a tie game, right? You know if we score there we probably win. I love the passion, but you have to pick your spots.”

Goaltender Wade Flaherty wasn’t as kind.

“I’ve been in hockey since dinosaurs roamed the Earth, but I’ve never seen a player drop the gloves with a scoring opportunity,” said Flaherty. “You’re one of a kind, Hurst”

“I hate to see what would happen if you get a breakaway. Are you going to drop them and fight the goalie?”

Guys started laughing when they heard that one.

Lesson learned.