PANTHER
      POST
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Page
      10
      February
      2009
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SPORTS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Fighting
      in
      Canada’s
      favourite
      sport
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Fighting
      finds
      itself
      under
      the
      radar
      following
      the
      death
      of
      a
      21-year-old
      Whitby
      Dunlops
      defenceman
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Kate
      VanGerven
     
     
      Panther
      Post
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Everyone
      at
      some
      point
      has
     
     
      been
      at
      a
      game
      to
      witness
      a
     
     
      hockey
      fight
      breakout.
     
    

    
     
      The
      gloves
      are
      dropped,
      and
     
     
      the
      opposing
      players
      swing
     
     
      wildly
      at
      each
      other
      in
      an
      at-
     
     
      tempt
      to
      come
      out
      on
      top.
      At
     
     
      the
      end
      of
      the
      game,
      hands
     
     
      are
      grasped
      in
      an
      act
      of
      good
     
     
      sportsmanship
      and
      although
     
     
      a
      rivalry
      may
      still
      exist
      be-
     
     
      tween
      the
      teams,
      there
      is
      no
     
     
      love
      lost.
     
    

    
     
      Sounds
      innocent
      enough.
     
     
      But
      what
      about
      the
      fights
     
     
      that
      go
      wrong?
     
    

    
     
      Don
      Sanderson,
      the
     
     
      21-year-old
      defenseman
      for
     
     
      the
      Whitby
      Dunlops
      spent
     
     
      three
      weeks
      in
      a
      coma
      before
     
     
      succumbing
      to
      his
      injuries
     
     
      that
      were
      a
      direct
      result
      of
      a
     
     
      fight
      during
      hockey.
     
    

    
     
      His
      death
      has
      been
      de-
     
     
      scribed
      as
      a
      terrible
      and
      un-
     
     
      fortunate
      accident,
      and
      the
     
     
      question
      on
      everyone’s
      mind
     
     
      is
      how
      could
      it
      have
      been
     
     
      prevented?
     
    

    
     
      The
      easiest
      answer
      would
     
     
      be
      to
      eliminate
      the
      fighting
     
     
      aspect
      of
      hockey
      completely.
     
     
      However,
      is
      that
      possible,
     
     
      and
      would
      such
      a
      concept
     
     
      even
      be
      accepted?
     
    

    
     
      Wayne
      Savage
      is
      a
      goalie
     
     
      for
      UPEI’s
      men’s
      hockey
     
     
      team.
      After
      seeing
      a
      player
     
     
      from
      Acadia
      attempt
      to
      fight
     
     
      Savage
      on
      January
      10,
      it’s
     
     
      clear
      even
      those
      in
      the
      net
     
     
      have
      to
      be
      aware
      of
      aggres-
     
     
      sion
      on
      the
      ice.
     
    

    
     
      “T
      think
      [fighting
      is]
      neces-
     
     
      sary
      to
      keep
      everything
      un-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Photo:
      whencanadiangeesecry.com
     
    
   
   
    
     
      der
      control.”
     
    

    
     
      When
      asked
      to
      explain
     
     
      himself
      further,
      he
      clarified,
     
     
      “With
      hockey,
      players
      know
     
     
      they
      have
      to
      be
      aware
      of
     
     
      fighting
      if
      they
      do
      something
     
     
      stupid.”
     
    

    
     
      Savage
      goes
      so
      far
      to
      say
     
     
      that
      fighting
      “acts
      as
      a
      polic-
     
     
      ing
      method,”
      but
      some
      could
     
     
      argue
      that
      such
      policing
     
     
      methods
      are
      meant
      to
      be
      in
     
     
      the
      hands
      of
      the
      referees.
     
    

    
     
      Regardless
      of
      what
      AUS
     
     
      League
      players
      may
      feel
     
     
      about
      fighting,
      there
      are
      strict
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      rules.
      John
      Keefe,
      Commu-
     
     
      nications
      Manager
      for
      AUS
     
     
      shares
      that
      “penalties
      for
     
     
      fighting
      are
      stiff
      and
      a
      pretty
     
     
      good
      deterrent.”
     
    

    
     
      A
      player’s
      first
      fight
      kicks
     
     
      them
      out
      of
      that
      game,
      as
     
     
      well
      as
      the
      next.
      The
      second
     
     
      fight
      sees
      them
      kicked
      out
      of
     
     
      that
      game
      as
      well,
      with
      a
      two
     
     
      game
      suspension
      afterwards.
     
     
      The
      third
      fight,
      if
      they
      really
     
     
      feel
      the
      need,
      kicks
      them
      out
     
     
      of
      that
      game
      and
      means
      in-
     
     
      definite
      suspension
      follow-
     
     
      ing
      a
      review
      by
      the
      Sport
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Chair.
     
    

    
     
      These
      precautions
      are
      in-
     
     
      deed
      a
      great
      deterrent
      to
     
     
      those
      who
      may
      have
      loose
     
     
      tempers.
     
    

    
     
      However
      Keefe
      notes,
      “the
     
     
      AUS
      has
      yet
      to
      see
      a
      single
     
     
      fight
      this
      season
      in
      our
      con-
     
     
      ference.”
     
    

    
     
      It
      has
      been
      argued
      that
      fight-
     
     
      ing
      is
      a
      much
      desired
      part
      of
     
     
      the
      game,
      and
      is
      surely
      a
      fan
     
     
      favourite.
     
    

    
     
      However,
      rules
      on
      numer-
     
     
      ous
      levels
      of
      hockey
      have
     
     
      been
      manipulated
      to
      help
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      game
      keep
      up
      with
      the
     
     
      changing
      face,
      and
      intensity,
     
     
      of
      the
      individuals
      playing
      it.
     
    

    
     
      Jonathon
      Roy,
      son
      of
      NHL
     
     
      great
      Patrick
      Roy
      and
      Que-
     
     
      bec
      Remparts
      goalie,
      found
     
     
      himself
      suspended
      from
      the
     
     
      Quebec
      Major
      Junior
      Hock
     
     
      ey
      League
      for
      seven
      games
     
     
      after
      a
      fight
      got
      out
      of
      hand
      -
     
     
      against
      the
      Chicoutimi
      Sagu-
     
     
      eneens.
     
    

    
     
      The
      league
      also
      cracked
     
     
      down
      on
      the
      elder
      of
      the
     
     
      Roy’s,
      suspending
      him
      for
     
    

    
     
      See
      ‘fighting’
      on
      page
      11