There's been some talk about this since Colin Campbell said it's time to look at the issue. What sparked it was the one-punch KO of the Flyers' Todd Fedoruk by the Rangers' Colton Orr. Fedoruk was taken out on a stretcher but says the worst injury he suffered in the fight was to his knee.

This writer says it should stop.

I think the bigger problem is that the league doesn't crack down on players who are clearly making deliberate attempts to injure an opponent, through punches or stck swings or blows to the head. Those who say to keep fighting say that in leagues where it's banned, the lack of fighting has led to vicious stick swinging because there's no way to be the so-called "enforcer." To me, however, if the league hits a player with a serious suspenion on the first offense and an outright ban afterwards, won't that cut down on the stick swinging?

Exactly, that fight that gave the Philly player a concussion notwithstanding the NHL's biggest violence issue is not with fighting but with the cheap shots given by players with intent to injure rather than to make a play.

No hits to the head. Period! The NFL does not allow this, why should the NHL?

Yes there is question of intent by hitter and hittee, but common sense would rear its ugly head....

ummm remind me again why a player would deliberately put their head down in the face of an oncoming player knowing what could happen to him????? And of course, players would think twice prior to skating halfway across the ice to whack someone without the puck.

That is a bigger problem than fighting.

I can't answer this question with a simple yes or no answer.

I don't like the scripted fights that I see down here in the "pro" league. You know the ones that start 2 secs into the game. For that reason alone I say yes fighting should be banned. Some of the fights I've seen this year in the NHL are pathetic and are over absolutely nothing.

In a no it shouldn't. I think it should be allowed when a player is deliberately trying to injure a teammate or taking out of a goalie to take him out of the game. This makes more sense to start a fight over.

So I can't answer a yes or no. Although I would say that there needs to be more double minors and 5 min majors handed out. I'd love to see NHL teams play on 5 min PPs or killing them off.

Canadian hockey fans are opposed to the elimination of fights. In a poll:

24% of people surveyed in Canada are self-described avid hockey fans. 76% of those oppose a ban of fights in the NHL. 22% would support a total ban.

28% are occasional fans. In this group, 52% would oppose a ban vs 43% that would support.

47% have no interest in the game. 52% are for a ban, 30% against.

Today's paper explains The Code (of honor) around the NHL's "most brutal facet", the on-ice fight. Seems there's a gentlemanly etiquette behind it all.



Call me cynical, but I suspect such "courtesy" has more to do with avoiding criminal charges. Regardless, it's probably a good thing.