Whats with the deaths in the NHL lately?? I heard about Wade Belak last night and though HOLY ****!! Really!!

I was surprised to hear about Belack he seems like such a funny good face for the NHL. Plus he's always entertaining.

And then about a month or so ago was Rick Rypen from the Canucks?? WOW another enforcer?

 

Not to cast a bad shadow on the NHL and hockey but as a hockey player with a lot of friends in juniors and hearing stories about what goes on, it's not that surprising. A lot of guys suffer huge amount of brain trauma (concussions) at a young age (buddy of mine has 7 concussions and another one doesn't remember how many he has had but can't remember a year of his life) and try to play through it. Same with other injuries. Painkillers are easily obtained and abused so they can try to push through the pain.

Also, junior hockey is considered a stepping stone to a scholarship or getting drafted so guys will do whatever to make the team, whether it is fighting, PEDs or other drugs (coke, ex, ...) and generally believe that they have to do it because they only have 1 shot at making it.

With this, the picture is clearer on how some guys, especially enforcers, will develop drug habits and/or depression. Guys who have been good on previous teams scoring wise, might take risks with fighting and then once injuries set in, then risks with drugs to rehab quicker. Very common, very dangerous but seen as a necessity to some in order to "make" it.

I'm saddened at these sudden deaths as well. Some may look like they are doing great on the outside but battling demons on the inside. The hockey community has been hit hard this summer and I hope this trend does not continue

 

Yupp, there are only so many slap shots and sticks to the back of the head that you can take before it starts to shorten your life. I played hockey from kindergarden to my sophmore year of high school and we never thought about concusions we just got up shook it off and kept playing.

 

Its just sad though. I was a Belak fan and to hear this is like wow??

 

Extremely sad and even more sad how he died. Wasn't accidental like Boogey's

 

Plus the enforcers don't get nearly the bank that the "skilled" players do, so they deal with even more demons...some have said they don't like playing the enforcer part but love the game. They go through the every day trauma of brain injuries that go with hockey plus depression...its sad. Hockey is such a great game..and fighting does need to be a part of it..a way for them to police themselves. No one laid a glove on Gretzky as long as he had Marty Mcsourley on his wing..

 

Agreed.

I strongly disagree. That's why I no longer watch it and don't give a damn about it any more.

To each their own - if I enjoyed watching fights (which I do NOT) I'd watch a boxing match.

 

Hockey is a very traditional sport. People still hate the changes from the lockout and such but they have opened up the game.
Every time banning fighting is brought up, it is because of a death, whether from a career of fighting or a freak accident on the ice. I see both sides of the argument where traditionalists harking back to the Broadstreet Bullies days do not want the game to change anymore but then these deaths are all enforcers so there are long term affects. It's no longer the days of shake it off and get back out there. Concussions are in full focus of the sports world, especially hockey with Crosby being out indefinitely and Savard not being able to play this season (probably have to retire).

I have played at competitive levels with/against people who are in the NHL and even tho fighting is banned at youth levels (not counting juniors) there are still fights. It is a rare occurrence but it happens.

The game does not need enforcers who play >5 minutes a night for the most part but there are still cheap players like Matt Cooke and Jarku Ruutu who do require a straightening out sometimes. For Cooke, it came in the form of getting knocked out by Evander Kane and at the end of this last season, being suspended for 15 games. Fights should happen in the heat of the game when something requires it, not to change momentum as in a set up fight. Most players can handle their own so the dedicated role of enforcer should no longer be in the game but fighting should stay. Games contain 60 minutes of action and 1-2 fights per game do not take away from the sport but tragic events like this do.

 

It's because of cheap shop artists like Matt Cooke that GREAT players like Marc Savard's career is OVER.

Yup it was in the paper yesterday that he is done for good..
I played the game my whole life and you took your lumps allright but elbows to the head is just dirty and there should be no excuse..

Player goes down for lets say 3 months with a head injury...
You dont play for 3 months either..

End a players career and end yours at the same time..

Seems simple enough?...Right?

It don't look good for Sid Crosby either..

But fighting stays.

...zap!

 

To me it would depend a lot on the incident to justify such a suspension. A good clean hit should not be penalized but a cheap shot with the intent to injure should be instant expulsion. It's not needed and should not be tolerated.

 

Because hockey players are tough some of the hits and pucks to the face ive seen guys take and then are able to stand up and skate them selfs to the bench is just crazy.

sad to hear about these guys thoe.

i think fighting should stay but they break them up so fast now there almost is no fighting.

They did a poll on my local "Red wings" game and asked should fighting stay 95% of people said yes it should stay.

 

And some more former NHL'ers today, wtf?

http://www.thecheapseats.ca/2011/09/...ane-crash.html

 

The KHL plane crash is terrible. My heart goes out to all their families. Very sad offseason for hockey in general