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Originally Posted by itsJ.Millertime
Thats basicaly what I was getting at, refs will control the way the games played and any player with any type of toughguy reputation will be looked at very closely when engaging in a fight and could be given a gamer at any moment. That has to play into the coaches and players minds, I dont see how it cannot. I guess it will all depend on just how much the Q wants to cut back on fighting as to how the \"instigators\" are called.
When I was talking about the drop in fights I was mainly talking about the drop in fights pre bettyman to his first season as commisioner and when he really put teeth into the instigator call. Before he took office fight totals were generaly ranging from 1,000-1,300 fights a season. His first year the total was barely over 700 fights hence my nearly 50% drop statement. But in fact upon looking at the stats the fight total for the 03 season (the last before the lockout and new rules) was in fact nearly 900 fights and the first season after the lockout was only 510 so that was in fact nearly a 50% drop. The next season was about the same but last year the total nearly reached 700 so yes it did get a bit better last year but still far from the totals pre intstigator penalty.
My whole point here, and the numbers do show it to be true, is that if there was such a big drop in fights with players getting a extra 2 and maybe a 10 min misc. there would be a equaly big drop now that they get a extra 2 and a possible gamer.
I hope your right though and theres not because the way the games played today is boring enough, you take out what little fighting there is and you can forget this sport ever making it back to mainstream.
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You are right on it considering the drop of fights as soon as the instigator penalty was implemented. If you add the increasing number of europeans coming to the NHL during the 90's the drop in fights and physical play was probably as high as you said.
We had more fights last year again and many teams are again believing they need an enforcer so with all the enforcers signing with new teams and with the increase of fights last season I'm still hoping it will maybe increase again a little bit and then remain the same in the future.
For now the game misconduct for instigating a fight is implemented only in the QMJHL, but probably also the other junior leagues will do it in the near future. I can live with that because I don't have a chance to see junior hockey anyway and I'm still not convinced if it is a good thing to see 16 year old boys fighting and brawling, but that's a different discussion.
The influence of this new junior-rules on pro hockey won't be too drastic IMO. There are enough players around that turn out to be fighters on pro-hockey-levels and weren't scouted as enforcers coming out of junior. So also if we see less fighters in junior the number of tough guys playing in the Pro-leagues won't change much. Besides that with maybe less fights in junior-hockey there won't be anymore 16-17 year old boys scouted and draftet later as fighters but as hockeyplayers that could turn out to be fighters later in their career while they had a chance to develop more their skills in junior hockey.
Besides that I think you are a dreamer if you believe hockey will ever turn back the way it used to be in the mid or late 80's. I know it's hard to accept but I highly doubt there will ever be rule changes again to bring more physical or more fighting back. The golden days of rough hockey are over.