But that\u2019s not the angle I\u2019m going here. Hockey fights aren\u2019t just dangerous\u2014they\u2019re a total waste of time.<\/p>\n
Staged Fights Aren\u2019t Really Hockey\u2014And Kind of Boring<\/p>\n
A decent chunk of hockey fights I see nowadays are staged. Meaning, two players agree to a joust at some point before or during the game\u2014usually because they\u2019re both heavyweights. If you\u2019re a fan of fights, you love this aspect of the game. But a 20-second staged (that word is important) boxing match isn\u2019t really hockey.<\/p>\n
The term \u201cfun\u201d is subjective, but as someone who actually enjoys boxing, hockey fights don\u2019t do it for me anymore. Since they\u2019re so quick and tiring, you\u2019ll be lucky to see one \u201cgood\u201d punch landed, even between the best in the business.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re familiar with the Savannah Bananas and \u201cBanana Ball,\u201d<\/a> that\u2019s kind of what these fights are like. They\u2019re on ice, wearing skates. I enjoyed hockey fights when I was a kid, but the sport of boxing is an incomparable product. It\u2019s a true test of wills. These staged brawls feel gimmicky and boring to me.<\/p>\n Heat-of-the-Moment Fights Serve No Purpose<\/p>\n Some fans agree that staged fights distract from the game, but most agree that heat-of-the-moment fights are essential to the sport. If your teammate receives a dirty hit, defending their honor is a must. I found myself in this group for a while, but then I realized that these retaliatory scraps do nothing.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s look at Tom Wilson, who has been on the receiving end of these since 2013\u201314. He\u2019s a genuinely good NHL player, putting up 33 goals and 32 assists last season, but he\u2019s been throwing dangerous hits for over a decade.<\/p>\n If retaliation fights are meant to teach a player a lesson, they certainly aren\u2019t working. Wilson had another incident as recently as Oct. 19, 2025, sending Vancouver Canucks forward Filip Chytil to injured reserve<\/a>.<\/p>\n The point isn\u2019t that Wilson is \u201cdirty.\u201d It\u2019s that he\u2019s been doing the same thing since New York Islanders top-pairing defenseman Matthew Schaefer<\/a> was six years old. No amount of retaliation fights will make the 31-year-old forward stop, and that goes for any player.<\/p>\n In the past, it\u2019s been argued that these fights are necessary to prevent cheapshots<\/a>. But that seems silly to me. Athletes in every other sport can swallow their pride and control their anger fine, even when a teammate is injured. Hockey players can do the same (and besides, they cheapshot anyway).<\/p>\n Fighters Take Lineup Spots Away<\/p>\n My last point is actually the inspiration for this piece. Fighters, some who would otherwise be playing in the ECHL, are taking NHL lineup spots from better, younger hockey players.<\/p>\n Nikita Grebenkin, a 22-year-old rookie forward who has done nothing but impress for the Philadelphia Flyers, is in a constant battle for action with Nicolas Deslauriers<\/a>.<\/p>\n Across 94 games since 2023\u201324, Deslauriers has averaged just 7:57 of ice time each night. He\u2019s playing to fight, and that\u2019s about it. Despite the Flyers being in a rebuild, Grebenkin, a skilled and gritty forward vying for a chance, has had to watch from the press box.<\/p>\n The same goes for the rebuilding San Jose Sharks<\/a>. Although Ryan Reaves<\/a> is a winger and Michael Misa is a center, the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft was watching Reaves fight from the press box for some time, too. Young, superior talent is sitting in favor of enforcers.<\/p>\n Fights were once something that made the NHL unique from other professional sports leagues. But now, they\u2019re limiting the game\u2019s potential. Hockey fights are a waste of time, distracting from what makes hockey truly great.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a>![\"Tom](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Tom-Wilson-Capitals-1200x800.jpg\")
Tom Wilson, Washington Capitals (Jess Starr<\/a>\/The Hockey Writers)<\/p>\n![\"Substack](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/THW_Substack_Banner4-e1693132124550-1200x148.jpg\")
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