Violence in ice hockey
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Violence has long been a controversial part of ice hockey and the National Hockey League. Violence in sports has occurred since sports began. Fighting has often been seen as a semi-legitimate part of the game, and physical tactics, such as checking, are an essential part of the game. There are some who argue that fighting, in fact, keeps the game "cleaner" because the player guilty of questionable play would have to be physically accountable for it on the ice. Advocates of fighting also state that the NHL's attempt to ban fighting vis-a-vis the instigator penalty, is actually making the game more violent because the players, mainly the so-called "enforcers," now cannot "police" the game on the ice since teams will be penalized for defending their teammates, thus making the culprit unaccountable for their actions. Proponents also cite the fact that the vast majority of serious injuries in the NHL are the result of accidents or incidental contact. Opponents of fighting retort that international and college hockey, which both harshly penalize fighting with suspensions, lack the incidents violence proponents claim to fear, and question what it is about ice hockey -- unique to professional team sport -- that requires a tolerance for violence.
A number of times, the violence in hockey has escalated to dangerous levels. On the ice, referees may impose penalties for expressly forbidden activities. Off the ice, the NHL sometimes fines, suspends, or expels players. The criminal justice system has also been known to investigate, charge, and convict players. Some critics consider it telling that the NHL is the only professional league that has a major players award for sportsmanship, The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, which suggests to some a tacit admission of the need to encourage more civil play.
Billy Coutu was the first player banned from the NHL for life when, in 1927, he attacked referee Jerry Laflamme. In a Stanley Cup game between the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators, several players complained about the officiating. Bruin Billy Coutu hit referee Jerry Laflamme, supposedly at the request of Bruins coach Art Ross. NHL president Frank Calder, the League's first president, expelled Coutu from the NHL for life on March 29, 1929.
Other incidents include the December 12, 1933 event when Eddie Shore hit Toronto Maple Leafs player Ace Bailey from behind. Bailey never played hockey again. More recently, controversy and criminal charges have resulted from violent attacks by Marty McSorley and Todd Bertuzzi.
Incidents Resulting in Charges
- 1922 - Sprague Cleghorn injured three Ottawa Senators’ players in a brawl, leading Ottawa police to offer to arrest him.
- 1955 - Maurice “Rocket” Richard of the Montreal Canadiens was hit on the head by Boston Bruins player Hal Laycoe. Richard retaliated by hitting Laycoe with his stick. When a referee attempted to stop the fight, Richard hit the linesman, too. The NHL suspended Richard for the rest of the season and playoffs. Canadiens fans rioted.
- 1969 - In a pre-season game, Ted Green of the Boston Bruins and Wayne Maki of the St.Louis Blues were embroiled in a stick-swinging fight that resulted in a fractured skull for Green. Both were acquitted in court. The NHL suspended Maki for 30 days and handed a 13-day suspension to Green.
- 1975 - Dan Maloney of the Detroit Red Wings attacked Brian Glennie of the Toronto Maple Leafs from behind. Maloney was charged with assault causing bodily harm, but was acquitted.
- 1975 – Police charged Bruins player Dave Forbes with aggravated assault after a fight with Henry Boucha of the Minnesota North Stars. After a nine-day trial ends with a hung jury, charges against Forbes are dropped.
- 1977 - Dave "Tiger" Williams of the Toronto Maple Leafs hits Pittsburgh Penguin Dennis Owchar with his stick. He was charged with assault, but acquitted.
- 1982 - Jimmy Mann of the Winnipeg Jets left the bench and hit Pittsburgh Penguin Paul Gardner, breaking Gardner's jaw in two places. Police charged Mann, who was fined $500 and given a suspended sentence in Winnipeg.
- 1988 - Dino Ciccarelli hit Leafs defenceman Luke Richardson with his stick. Charged and convicted of assault, he is sentenced to one day in jail and fined $1,000.
- 1998 - Jesse Boulerice of the Plymouth Whalers suspended for the rest of the playoffs after violently swinging his stick at Guelph Storm forward Andrew Lang. Boulerice was charged with assault as a result of the incident.
- 2000 - Marty McSorley of the Boston Bruins hit Vancouver Canucks Donald Brashear in the head with his stick. McSorley was convicted of assault and given an 18-month conditional discharge.
- 2004 - Todd Bertuzzi of the Vancouver Canucks sucker-punched Steve Moore of the Colorado Avalanche, knocking Moore unconscious, and then drove Moore head-first into the ice. Moore sustained two chipped vertebrae, a concussion, and facial lacerations. Bertuzzi was charged by police, and given a conditional discharge after pleading guilty to assault causing bodily harm. His suspension resulted in a loss of $500,000 in pay and the Canucks were fined $250,000. Bertuzzi was re-instated in 2005, and Moore has made several (so far) unsuccessful attempts at civil litigation.
- A brief history of stick violence. CBC. 6 October 2000. Accessed at [link] on 19 July 2004.
- History of criminal charges on ice. Canadian Press. 24 June 2004. Accessed at [link] on 19 July 2004.
Longest Suspensions
- Billy Coutu, Boston Bruins, lifetime ban, 1927.
- Dan Maloney, Detroit Red Wings, 2 years, November 1975. (banned from playing in Toronto only)
- Marty McSorley, Boston Bruins, 23 games, February 2000.
- Gordie Dwyer, Tampa Bay Lightning, 23 games, September 2000.
- Dale Hunter, Washington, 21 games, May 1993.
- Todd Bertuzzi, Vancouver Canucks, 20 games (also banned from playing internationally for 17 months, but reinstated by NHL commissioner on 8/8/05).
- Tom Lysiak, Chicago Blackhawks, 20 games, October 1983.
- Brad May, Phoenix Coyotes, 20 games, November 2000.
- Eddie Shore, Boston Bruins, 16 games, December 1933.
- Maurice Richard, Montreal Canadiens, 15 games, March 1955.
- Wilf Paiement, Colorado Rockies, 15 games, October 1978.
- Dave Brown, Philadelphia Flyers, 15 games, November 1987.
- Tony Granato, Los Angeles Kings, 15 games, February 1994.
- Wayne Maki, St. Louis Blues, 30 days, September 1969.
- Ted Green, Boston Bruins, 13 games, September 1969.
- Andre Roy, Tampa Bay Lightning, 13 games, April 2002.
- Brantt Myhres, San Jose Sharks, 12 games, February 1999.
- Matt Johnson, Los Angeles Kings, 12 games, November 1998.
- Ron Hextall, Philadelphia Flyers, 12 games, May 1989.
- David Shaw, New York Rangers, 12 games, October 1988.
- Owen Nolan, San Jose Sharks, 11 games, February 2001.
- Tie Domi, Toronto Maple Leafs, 11 games, Game 4 of the 2001 Eastern Conference semifinals.
- Jimmy Mann, Winnipeg Jets, 10 games, January 1982.
- Ruslan Salei, Anaheim Mighty Ducks, 10 games, October 1999.
- Scott Niedermayer, New Jersey Devils, 10 games, March 2000.
Expulsions
- Billy Coutu, Boston Bruins, 1927, for assaulting referee Jerry Laflamme.
Attacks on Officials
- Billy Coutu, Boston Bruins, lifetime suspension, 1927, for attacking referee Jerry Laflamme and starting a Stanley Cup brawl.
- Gordie Dwyer, Tampa Bay Lightning, 23 game suspension, 19 September 2000, after he abused officials and left the penalty box to fight in an exhibition game against the Washington Capitals.
- Tom Lysiak, Chicago Blackhawks, 20 game suspension, October 1983, for intentionally tripping a linesman.
- Maurice Richard, Montreal Canadiens, 15 game suspension (3 regular season, 12 playoff games), March 1955, for knocking down linesman Cliff Thompson during a fight with Boston's Hal Laycoe.
- Andre Roy, Tampa Bay Lightning, 13 game suspension, April 2002, for leaving the penalty box and physically abusing an official while trying to start a fight with players in the New York Rangers penalty box.
See also
External links
- 10 Hockey Violence Lowlights, CBC Sports Online, 9 March 2004. http://www.cbc.ca/sports/columns/top10/hockey_lowlights.html
- NHL Suspension List. Canadian Press. http://www.slam.canoe.ca/Slam040311/nhl_susp-cp.html
- A brief history of stick violence. CBC. 6 October 2000. http://cbc.ca/cgi-bin/templates/sportsView.cgi?/news/2000/10/06/Sports/stickwork001006
- History of criminal charges on ice. Canadian Press. 24 June 2004. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=88823
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