This may well be the only time in my life I blog about NHL hockey, but I just watched a great program on CBC's The Fifth Estate about fighting in hockey. The debate for and against fighting has intensified since the death of a 20 year-old hockey player in Brampton last January.
I have to say, I watched a lot of hockey in the 4th and 5th grades (saw the Penguins win two Stanley Cups) but have lost interest in the game since. I think it's largely an icy version of Ultimate Fighting - the emphasis on skill and speed has declined in recent years. I think this is one of the reasons for the increasing interest in women's hockey; it's more like "the old game."
In any case, I was watching Don Cherry and others defend fighting and what stood out was former 'enforcer' Nick Kypreos' response when asked whether he would want his son to play that role on the ice. He was very upset and almost unable to speak. He obviously understands that he built his career on being a fighter, and yet he was visibly shaken when imagining that fate for his son.
It was a very similar response to war veterens who go to great lengths to describe the inhumanity and brutality of war, and who emphasize how unglamorous it actually is. I was very heartened to see someone of Kypreos' status in hockey have the bravery to stand up to bullies who insist that bashing heads makes for a better game.
The more I look around, the more people my age become parents, the more I see how being responsible for vulnerable people changes our perspective on what is right and wrong. I think creating a life and bringing it in to the world transforms people, even someone like that who used to bust heads for a living.
Kypreos' also commented that the physical part of the violence was the easy part - it was the psychological toll that was difficult to confront. I remain very concerned about the level of violence sanctioned by the NHL, the culture that surrounds it, and the lessons it teaches young people. Let's just say that if I ever have children, they will be playing pond hockey only.
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On a completely unrelated note, did you hear about the new White House Vegetable Garden? How do I get an invitation for dinner?
1 comment:
As a hockey fan it may surprise you that I agree. Mostly. The one way I disagree is that it's any different now than that time as a child.
Fighting has always been a focus in hockey along with aggression and the concept of physical intimidation. The Philadelphia Flyers in the 1970s were known as the Broad Street Bullies because of this.
I just think the scope and context is changing. It's more noticeable now since the guys that are there specifically as an enforcer can't keep up with the game. They're typically slower to move and less skilled. They stick out like a sore thumb.
I think the overall level of skill has improved, just how obviously unnecessary the goons are is also more apparent.
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