The Shame of Professional Hockey

I don’t watch a lot of hockey anymore. I used to. I played it. I coached it. It was a big part of my life. It no longer is, in large measure, because of the mindless violence that still permeates the game at the professional level. International hockey is a much better product since fighting penalties are much harsher, and so it never or very rarely happens.

So last night, caught up in the recent patriotic fervour, I turned on the Canada vs. USA game in the 4 Nations tournament. I was really looking forward to a fast-paced, skill-filled game featuring the best players from the two best hockey countries in the world. The announcers talked about how there had never been such a collection of speed and skill on one rink at the same time.

Then the puck dropped—and so did the gloves, three times within the first nine seconds of the game. And just like that, my hope for a skilled contest of the very best evaporated, and I soon changed the channel.

That the asinine absurdity of fighting in hockey still exists is a malignant pox on the game.