Violence in Hockey

Violence in the sport of ice hockey is a matter which has been studied and debated since the rise of the sport's popularity. Opinions on whether to get rid of body checking and fighting in ice hockey show a clear divide between core hockey fans, occasional fans, and those who do not follow the sport. Despite a consensus among Canadians that hockey is too violent; little has been done to reduce the amount of physical contact and fighting in the sport. However, due to big name injuries in the NHL, in-depth concussion research, and heightened media coverage the issue of violence in hockey is once again under the microscope.

The implications regarding the ugly side of hockey can be very grave. Time lost due to injuries can hurt a player's career, reduce interest, and lower quality of life. In one case, a player lost his life due to a hockey fight. This reduced interest threatens the livelihood of the sport as parents look for safer activities to enroll their children in. In regards to the above implications, this essay will explore the reasons for removing body checking from minor hockey and removing fighting from all levels of hockey.

The Culture of Hockey

The culture of competitive men's hockey involves methods of intimidation, instigation, retribution. A smaller ice surface in the "North American style" of game has contributed to a heavier focus on this aggressive play as opposed to the "European Style" which employs a larger ice surface and relies more on speed and passing skills.

The National Hockey League (NHL) is widely recognized as the top league in the world and in turn sets the standard for rules in other leagues, especially North American leagues. Other important governing bodies include the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Because of the acceptance and regulation of fighting among influential governing bodies such as the NHL and the KHL, a path has been opened for approval of aggressive styles of play and violent behaviour which players usually have no choice but to exploit.

A study which uses a crime model to explore cultures of illegality in the NHL (Allen, 2005) concludes that the biggest predictor of a player's illegal activity (being assessed a penalty) is the illegal activity of the opponent. Therefore, a vicious cycle is present where players will use methods within the rules to intimidate each other until the situation escalates into a penalty or a fight.

Those who adhere to "The Code" tend to present fighting as a means to regulate cheap shots that occur throughout the game. Don Cherry, a popular fighting proponent, goes as far as arguing that without fighting there will be more violent stick episodes in hockey because the lack of retribution (Rumak, 2009). However, this point can easily be disproven by observing the international game which employs a larger ice surface, and adheres to different rules regarding fighting by assessing a mandatory game misconduct to players who drop the gloves and engage in a fight. The result is a game that is more reliant on speed and skill while rarely allowing the intense competitive nature to boil over into a violent act with the stick, or a fight. This has been most evident at the Olympic level where the best hockey players compete every four years under IIHF rules, and in most cases, on a larger ice surface. These factors have been successful in eliminating fighting and over the top aggressive play as useful strategies.

In order to get rid of fighting and violence in hockey, a change to the culture of the game must be carefully considered through education, research, and experimentation. Proving that hockey can be played at an equal level without the need for fighting and violence will be the only way to shift the attitudes of core hockey fans, and those directly involved in the game.

Body Checking in Minor Hockey

The starting point for any discussion on getting rid of violence in hockey must be at the minor hockey level. Minor hockey covers a wide range of age groups and talent pools where young hockey players learn how to play the game properly, and later on develop more skill under the given rules. In minor hockey, it is customary for body contact to begin at the Pee-Wee level (ages 11-12), but this varies in different countries.

Studies of body checking at the minor hockey level have provided overwhelming evidence of increased injuries. One such study (Bekele et al., 2011), which examined emergency room visits related to hockey injuries, adds to the evidence of dangers associated with body checking at the minor hockey level. The study looked at male hockey players aged 6-17, and was conducted on five Ontario hospital emergency room records. It was found that 52.2% of hockey related injuries were attributed to body checking, making it the number one cause of injury in the study. Injury rates increased for players starting in their first year being introduced to body checking, and this remained for all subsequent years.

Another study (Benson et al., 2010) comparing injury rates of players in a body checking Pee-Wee league versus a non body checking Pee-Wee league observed a 3 fold increased risk of concussion for the players in the body checking league, as opposed to the non body checking league.

Proponents of body checking often argue that the players who start body checking at a younger age will gain more experience on the subject, and therefore have better technique, resulting in less risk of injury. The problem with this argument is that the research simply does not back it up. Not only is body checking directly related to increased injury rates, but the effect of body checking experience on injury rates is still under consideration. Some studies show that body checking experience has very little effect on injury rates while other studies show only a marginal effect.

Fighting in Hockey

Hockey fights have been around since the early years of the game. Fighting was finally regulated by the NHL in 1922 after it had become prevalent enough to be addressed with a specific rule. In present day, the NHL assesses a five minute major penalty for a player who drops his gloves and engages in a fight. Fighting rules vary from league to league. North American professional and junior leagues generally do not eject players from the game for a fight, in contrast to European professional and junior leagues where fighting carries an automatic game ejection.

Unlike body checking, studies have found that fighting is not a significant cause of hockey injuries. This combined with the argument that fighting helps hold players accountable and regulate even more violence from occurring on the ice, helps proponents build what