Brendan Smith on Fighting in the NHL

Amidst the debate of the future of fighting in the junior ranks, Smith, who played NCAA hockey for former Windsorite Mike Eaves at Wisconsin, where fighting is prohibited, is a supporter of fisticuffs on the ice. “Maybe some people think it’s a macho thing, but I just think it’s part of the game,” said Smith, who didn’t have any problem with Shaw challenging him to a bout after he’d slammed Blackhawks star Patrick Kane with a solid bodycheck. “As kind of a younger guy, a gritty guy, he’s got to stick up for his team, too. That was his job, and it just happened that way.”