November 25,1997 The Cadre 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     unMitiGa@TeD 
     
     A. daclt¥ 
     
    
   
   
    
     Black Eyes or Major Surgery? Is 
     
     Fighting Really a Danger to 
     
     Hockey? 
     
    
   
   
    
     (okay, I’m back from my one week hero-worship 
     
     hiatus. Back to the attitude pieces...) 
     
    
   
   
    
     Last weekend I was a bit burned out from academia and | figured I needed a 
     
     break. Combining this with wanting to show a little school spirit, | decide to take in the Panthers 
     
     -Acadia game at the Civic Centre. We all know what happened that Saturday night, don’t we? 1 (Any 3 Ingredients) 
     
     About 400 minutes in penalties called, five Panthers suspended for fighting after the game. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Allinall, a pretty ugly night forthe home team; despite actually winning the game (and winning 7 PRESENT YOUR STUDENT ID 
     
    
   
   
    
     the following one), all anyone is going to remember is the game-ending brawl. ; 
     
     I’ ma life-long hockey fanatic -- | scour newspapers and the internet for any scrap FOR PICK-UP ORDERS! 
     
    
   
   
    
     of info about my heroes, I have favourite teams in practically every league (anyone know how 
     
     my Calgary Hitmen are doing?). Putting it simply, I love the game, for all of its details -- the 
     
     speed, the skill, the brute force, and even the fighting. Yes, the fighting. | admit it: | get a 
     
     barbaric thrill from watching Mike Peluso and Tie Domi pound the crap out of one another. 
     
     It isn’t pretty, but it is part of the game. 
     
    

    
     Something I’ve noticed by attending Panthers games is the amount of dirty 
     
     stickwork that goes on in the average game. Due to the league-mandated absence of fighting, 
     
     players aren’t allowed todrop the gloves when their tempers get the best of them -- if you fight, 
     
     you’ re suspended. So instead of duking it out, players are forced to resort to using their sticks 
     
     against the object of their disaffection. 
     
    

    
     While having the ice as a fist-free zone makes the Fair Play commission happy, 
     
     it creates a more dangerous situation for the players. Feel free to correct me, but from all the 
     
     injuries that hockey players get, it seems pretty rare for those wounds to be as a result of 
     
     fighting (Nick Kypreos notwithstanding). Most serious damage, ranging from broken bones 
     
     to internal injuries (a former coach of mine would tell us of a player who had to have his spleen 
     
     removed as a result of being speared) are caused by swinging the ol’ Sherwood Darth Vader- 
     
     style. Does keeping the players from dropping the gloves encourages this sort of action? Looks 
     
     like it to me. 
     
    

    
     Although not quite to the same extent that someone in the CIAU would have, I 
     
     do have firsthand knowledge of dirty stickwork. Having played intramural hockey here at 
     
     UPEI and rec-league back in Alberta -- both places also have prohibited fighting -- I’ve taken 
     
     enough cross-checks in the neck, butt-ends and spears to see the danger of stickwork. Seeing 
     
     it happen from the safety of the stands is disturbing, too. The scary thing is that the on-ice 
     
     officials are aware of this stuff and do nothing about it. “Sticks are swung? Send ‘em to 
     
     the box. Punches thrown? Better file a .” Unfortunately, it seems that someone’s going 
     
     to have to be hurt real bad before the CIAU - and others - address this issue. Is it better for 
     
     someone to lose a kidney because of a butt-end than skin their knuckles against someone's 
     
    
   
   
    
     ciatiierimeadounemiammncmencin |! = LIQSJOSTO 
     
    
   
   
    
     fans approve of it, and see it as a part of the game. I’m not taking the position that fighting 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     should be allowed because it’ll help sell hockey. I’m saying that it should be allowed for 307 University Ave 
     
    

    
     safety’s sake. Evidence: no one appeared hurt after the Panthers-Axemen brawl. No, that 
     
    

    
     isn’t entirely true. The guys who had to repair the damage Acadia did to their dressing room This Special Available For Delivery To: 
     
    

    
     had to put in some overtime... UPEI, BROWN COURT, HOLLAND COLLEGE 
     
     - Ross Williams, president of the Sandy McCarthy Fan Club & COMPU COLLEGE ONLY!!! 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Not valid with other specials * This special available for delivery to UPEI. Brown Court. 
     
    
   
   
    
     a | '»! olege and Compy College only * Studiers IO vequised fos pick up orders only * 
     
     Trademark of Grinner’s Food Systems Limited. used under license