Like most NHL fans, I'm an unabashed fan of hockey fights and the men who drop their gloves to protect their more skilled teammates. In their guts, most fans know that if it wasn't for players like Donald Brashear and Brian McGrattan, skaters like Dany Heatley and Alex Ovechkin wouldn't have nearly as much room to dazzle us the way they do.Now, there's solid empirical evidence to back it up. In a study published by Ruhr Economic Papers, Blood Money: Incentives for Violence in NHL Hockey, John P. Haisken-DeNew and Matthias Vorell found a positive correlation between fighting and winning in the NHL.
Here's how The Atlantic saw the paper:
After analyzing league statistics-including penalty minutes, goals scored, and salary figures-the authors determined that strategic fighting can improve a team's playoff chances, and that players possessing the unique skills of an enforcer are duly rewarded for their efforts.According to the researchers, the most effective way to curb fighting in hockey would be to levy a $36,000 fine on each team per fight, and then apply the fine against the team's salary cap. I'm sure that idea would give Anaheim GM Brian Burke a severe case of agita.
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While a player earns a "wage premium" of $10,925 when he assists on a goal, they calculated, he earns $18,135 for winning a fight and $11,993 even for losing a fight.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-21-2008 @ 5:05PM
Pjcarp628 said...
Hockey is the strangest sport in the world. Fighting is tolerated to such a degree that it is by default encouraged and now they've admitted that this behavior is financially rewarded.
There is no other sport on the planet that allows fighting as part and parcel of the actual competition. Technically,fighting isn't even allowed in Boxing,MMA or any form of wrestling because of a rule system that governs behavior and imposes immediate sanctions up to and including ejection,suspension and banishment in some extreme cases for violation of those rules.
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10-21-2008 @ 4:20PM
Marty said...
I am a life long hockey fan. I grew up watching the Bruins. I remember all the fighters, Wensink, O'reilly, Nilan, Miller, Johnathan, etc...
But remember that sports are for families to enjoy, and for parents to pass on to their children, Sports are to teach kids sportsmanship, and competition.
As a father I want to share my love of hockey with my son; but I will not share hockey if it continues to support and encourage violence. The NHL needs to set an example and start giving game misconducts for fighting.
I remember going to a CAPs game and Parros and Brashers were fighting. The whole place was on their feet cheering including the kids in attendance. It was sick.
A clean hard hit is the way to send a message in hockey. Society has way too much violence for hockey to be promoting it as acceptable.
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