I may be late with this reply but I have been away for a while.
 
Fighting in hockey (college, junior, pro) if done CORRECTLY is a very
useful tool. I am not sitting as an advocate of goon tactics, but fighting
can serve it's purpose.
i.e.) The most common issue today are the "little guys" who run around the
ice using their sticks as weapons. If this occurs in college, what action
can you take to stop it? NONE! But if the player knew that if they
continued using their stick that way, there might be the chance that a
player may grab him and beat the snot out of him, he'll stop.
 
I think that fighting for the most part is misunderstood. If used as a
"policing" mechanism for the players who act in an improper manner
(slashing, high-sticking excessively), the fighting will serve the purpose
it was intended. When players know that their actions may be accountable by
having to drop the gloves, you'd be surprised how quickly the sticks and
attitudes of many players change.
 
I think that college should review having fighting back as a Game
Misconduct (removing you from the current game only.) We had rules back  in
Canada which stated that if a fight occurred with 10 minutes or less
remaining in the game, you would sit out the next one also. This stopped
the guys from dropping the gloves with a minute to go and playing the next
game.
 
Just my two cents..
 
Craig Lisko
Ferris State 1990-1994
 
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