Reddit mentions: The best hockey guides

Here you go:

Movies

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SlapShot|A failing ice hockey team finds success using constant fighting and violence during games
Goon|Labeled an outcast by his brainy family, a bouncer overcomes long odds to lead a team of under performing misfits to semi-pro hockey glory, beating the crap out of everything that stands in his way.
Youngblood|A skilled young hockey prospect hoping to attract the attention of professional scouts is pressured to show that he can fight if challenged during his stay in a Canadian minor hockey town.
The Mighty Ducks Trilogy|A self-centered lawyer is sentenced to community service coaching a rag tag youth hockey team. In the second movie, leads them to the World Junior Goodwill Games. And in the third movie, the gang heads to a cake-eater private school and a different, tougher coach.
Mystery, Alaska|This comedy is about the residents of a small town who get over-excited when their hockey team gets chosen to host a televised event
Miracle|Miracle tells the true story of Herb Brooks (Russell), the player-turned-coach who led the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team to victory over the seemingly invincible Russian squad.
Breakaway|An Indian-Canadian hockey player struggles against traditional family values and discrimination from mainstream hockey players.


###TV & Documentaries

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24/7| The road to the Winter Classic details the trials and tribulations of 2 teams each season as they head into the Winter Classic. First Season: Caps/Pens. Second Season: Flyers/Rangers
Pond Hockey|Pond Hockey examines the changing culture of sports through insightful interviews with hockey stars, experts, journalists and local rink rats alike. More than just a celebration of a beloved game, Pond Hockey searches the open ice for the true meaning of sport.
The Last Gladiators|In ice hockey, no one is tougher than the "goon". Those players have one mission: to protect the star players at any price.
Hockey: A People's History|The history of the sport of ice hockey and its impact on the founding country of Canada.
30 fo 30: A King's Ransom|Story of the Gretzky trade from Oilers to the Kings.

###Books
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The Game|Ken Dryden|Ken Dryden, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, is recognized as one of the greatest goalies ever to play the game. More than that, he is one of hockey's most intelligent and insightful commentators. In The Game, Dryden captures the essence of the sport and what it means to all hockey fans.
The Boys of Winter|Wayne Coffey|They were the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, a blue-collar bunch led by an unconventional coach, and they engineered what Sports Illustrated called the greatest sports moment of the twentieth century. Their “Miracle on Ice” has become a national fairy tale, but the real Cinderella story is even more remarkable.
J.R.|Jeremy Roenick|Jeremy Roenick, one of the premier hockey players of his generation and one of the greatest American stars the NHL has ever known, shares his life story in this frank and unflinching autobiography.
Crossing the Line|Derek Sanderson|The autobiography of one of hockey’s first rebels and a beloved member of the “Big Bad Bruins,” this book shares how Derek Sanderson’s ferocious style helped lead the team to two Stanley Cup victories in the early 1970s.
Playing With Fire|Theo Fleury|Theo Fleury takes us behind the bench during his glorious days as an NHL player, and talks about growing up devastatingly poor and in chaos at home.
Jonesy: Put Your Head Down and Skate|Kieth Jones|Jonsey is the story of Keith s career in the league as well as all of the interesting stories he accumulated over the course of his career, playing with some of the leagues best players in the last 15 years, including Peter Forsberg, Joe Sakic, Mark Recchi and Eric Lindros. Forward by Ray Bourque.
Blood Feud|Adrian Dater|Blood Feud is a rollicking story of a fierce, and often violent, rivalry between the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche.
Tough Guy|Bob Probert|Documenting his notorious career with the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks, Bob Probert details in this autobiography how he racked up points, penalty minutes, and bar bills, establishing himself as one of the most feared enforcers in the history of the NHL.
Journeyman|Sean Pronger|The many triumphs (and even more numerous defeats) of a guy who's seen just about everything in the game of hockey while playing for 11 teams in 16 years.
Ballad of the Whiskey Robber|Julian Rubenstein|The true story of a bank robbing backup goalie in Hungary who becomes a folk hero right after the fall of communism.
Breakaway|Tal Pinchevsky|The stories of the first players to defect and/or get work visas to play in the NHL from Czechoslovakia and the USSR.
Breakaway|Andrew Conte|A detailed, fascinating account of Penguins rise from bankruptcy to Stanley Cup champion that takes you inside the board rooms as well as the players dressing rooms.
Artificial Ice|David Whitson, Richard Gruneau|Artificial Ice explores how hockey has moved from popular pastime to commercial entertainment product, and one struggling to maintain its stature in the North American entertainment market.
Orr: My Story|Bobby Orr|Bobby Orr is often referred to as the greatest ever to play the game of hockey. From 1966 through the mid-seventies, he could change a game just by stepping on the ice. No defenseman had ever played the way he did, or received so many trophies, or set so many records, several of which still stand today. Now he tells of his inspirations, his motivations, and what drove him to become one of the greats. Avalable October 15

Books

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---|:---|:---
The Game|Ken Dryden|Ken Dryden, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, is recognized as one of the greatest goalies ever to play the game. More than that, he is one of hockey's most intelligent and insightful commentators. In The Game, Dryden captures the essence of the sport and what it means to all hockey fans.
The Boys of Winter|Wayne Coffey|They were the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, a blue-collar bunch led by an unconventional coach, and they engineered what Sports Illustrated called the greatest sports moment of the twentieth century. Their “Miracle on Ice” has become a national fairy tale, but the real Cinderella story is even more remarkable.
J.R.|Jeremy Roenick|Jeremy Roenick, one of the premier hockey players of his generation and one of the greatest American stars the NHL has ever known, shares his life story in this frank and unflinching autobiography.
Crossing the Line|Derek Sanderson|The autobiography of one of hockey’s first rebels and a beloved member of the “Big Bad Bruins,” this book shares how Derek Sanderson’s ferocious style helped lead the team to two Stanley Cup victories in the early 1970s.
Playing With Fire|Theo Fleury|Theo Fleury takes us behind the bench during his glorious days as an NHL player, and talks about growing up devastatingly poor and in chaos at home.
Jonesy: Put Your Head Down and Skate|Kieth Jones|Jonsey is the story of Keith s career in the league as well as all of the interesting stories he accumulated over the course of his career, playing with some of the leagues best players in the last 15 years, including Peter Forsberg, Joe Sakic, Mark Recchi and Eric Lindros. Forward by Ray Bourque.
Blood Feud|Adrian Dater|Blood Feud is a rollicking story of a fierce, and often violent, rivalry between the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche.
Tough Guy|Bob Probert|Documenting his notorious career with the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks, Bob Probert details in this autobiography how he racked up points, penalty minutes, and bar bills, establishing himself as one of the most feared enforcers in the history of the NHL.
Journeyman|Sean Pronger|The many triumphs (and even more numerous defeats) of a guy who's seen just about everything in the game of hockey while playing for 11 teams in 16 years.
Ballad of the Whiskey Robber|Julian Rubenstein|The true story of a bank robbing backup goalie in Hungary who becomes a folk hero right after the fall of communism.
Breakaway|Tal Pinchevsky|The stories of the first players to defect and/or get work visas to play in the NHL from Czechoslovakia and the USSR.
Breakaway|Andrew Conte|A detailed, fascinating account of Penguins rise from bankruptcy to Stanley Cup champion that takes you inside the board rooms as well as the players dressing rooms.
Artificial Ice|David Whitson, Richard Gruneau|Artificial Ice explores how hockey has moved from popular pastime to commercial entertainment product, and one struggling to maintain its stature in the North American entertainment market.
Orr: My Story|Bobby Orr|Bobby Orr is often referred to as the greatest ever to play the game of hockey. From 1966 through the mid-seventies, he could change a game just by stepping on the ice. No defenseman had ever played the way he did, or received so many trophies, or set so many records, several of which still stand today. Now he tells of his inspirations, his motivations, and what drove him to become one of the greats. Avalable October 15

So here's my thing with Bobby Hull. The guy was a remarkable piece of shit in his personal life, and yet, he's also one of the game's most important and best players.

His case ended the league's reserve clause, giving rise to free agency in the NHL. He ended up in court because he was lured to the WHA by professional sport's first million dollar check (paid out $100,000 over 10 years), boosting not only hockey salaries, but every professional athlete's. They dropped that load of cash on him because Jet's owner Benny Hatskin (bitchin' hockey name) thought his signing would give the league credibility. Ya see Hull was probably the most popular player in the NHL and his signing meant fans knew someone worth watching would be playing. Tack on the Swedish trio (Hedberg, Nilsson, and Sjoberg back on D) and you've a group that helped legitimize European style hockey in North America. With Hull, the WHA accomplished its goal and survived to the merger,* but I won't really go into all the implications of the league outside of Hull (of which there are many, the WHA challenged everything). Admittedly, outside of the first two, Hull was only a piece of the puzzle in these situations, a big damn piece in the case of the WHA. Even then, I'd really only put a couple of guys on the same level as him when it comes to impacting hockey as a business: Ted Lindsay and Doug Harvey (founders of the first NHL union).

As for his on ice achievements - 3x Art Ross, 2x Hart Trophy, 10x 1st team all-star, 2x 2nd team all-star. Dude's arguably the Blackhawks greatest player (...but Mikita) and one of hockey's absolute best. HF's history boards have him ranked as the #2 winger (behind Howe, in front of Richard) and #5 overall player (behind the big 4, above Harvey).*

I really don't have an opinion on what Chicago should do about this. I'm not a Chicago fan and I don't live anywhere near it. I can completely understand why the team would want a statue of player like Hull in front of the arena where the team plays. On the other hand, given the piece of shit human being he is (detailed elsewhere in this thread, makes Ike Turner look like a teddy bear), the people that find something celebrating his image offensive are completely justified. Ambivalent is as strong as an opinion as I'm going to have on this topic, I just wanted to show why the they put Hull there. I'm obviously a fan of Hull the hockey player, but seriously what the fuck dude? Who tries to throw their wife off a balcony?


No, seriously, that was the business plan masterminded by Hatskin after he got snubbed during the 67 expansion. Determined to get an NHL team no matter the fashion, he figured the NHL would simply absorb any competition, like the NFL had just done with the AFL, so he joined up. He underestimated the constant dicking they would take at the hands of Harold Ballard and the Molson brothers. The trio blocked multiple mergers, entirely out of spite for challenging the NHL. I highly recommend reading Rebel League; the WHA story is crazy. As a fun aside, a failed WHA presents some crazy what-ifs without even leaving Edmonton. What happens to the Oilers dynasty? The team no longer exists. Who ends up with Gretzky? Coffee? Messier?Does Kurri even come to North America? Do the Islanders win a fifth straight cup?

**Take these rankings as you will. I'm presenting them to give a general sense of how Hull is viewed by hockey history buffs and I like their methodology. I don't even agree with them. Hull over Harvey? Bullshit!

Welcome to the sport :) I hope you do end up joining.

Gear (minimum): Helmet, elbows, shins, gloves, pants....probably will be around $150 - 200. Add another $50 if you don't yet actually own a stick and a practice puck or two. Add another $150 if you don't even yet have the skates.

Gear when you start playing w/ others: girdle w/ cup to protect the ol nutbag + light/dark jersey(s) for pickup games. Probably another $150 $60 for the girdle and $20 per practice jersey

Practicing w/o a team: Practice your skating and handling the puck while moving (with your eyes up). I just finished my first beginner inline hockey season and 90% of my problems were from basic skating and puck handling issues. Luckily, this has been stuff I could practice in my own neighborhood, alone.

Other tips: Check out youtube for hockey tutorials. The HowToHockey.com guy makes the best videos. I also picked up this book for nice and cheap just to get a better understanding of positioning in a 4 on 4 setting.

Lastly, dig around r/hockeyplayers. I found a lot of good info in the sidebar and top threads, leading up to my first season.

Cheers and PM if you have more questions. Where are you located, btw?

edit: Fixed some pricing where I greatly overestimated.

That's pretty awesome, I'd love to keep something like that on the wall if it's pretty big.

Only thing I have so far is my coffee table book

The book The Power Within goes over this well.




I just finished reading Backstrom's interview and he talks about letting go of goals by having a routine after a goal is scored where he gives himself a few seconds to reflect on what he could have done differently then he moves on to focus on the next shot.




He also talks about gaining confidence from good preparation. He feels if he has put the work in before hand he has done everything he can to succeed and feels less pressure.



Elliot also talks about having the same routine after a goal against and a goal for. Helps him stay level headed and focus on the most important shot; the next one.

I want to comment on so many things you said!

> These are my favorite stories and it really tells you how incredible you have to be to even get a shot in the NHL. Like if you even have one career game you were so incredibly good at hockey that its outlandish.

Check out this book. Sounds like you might enjoy it as much as I would. It isn't releasing until October but it's a compilation of stories from guys that only played one game in the NHL. I don't read books but I can't wait to read this.

> People tell me I have a good shot, and thanks to this guy I will never ever believe them.

Couldn't agree more. Growing up, I always thought I was pretty good. When I got older and started playing against some really good players, I realized how terrible I would likely be in comparison to the elite level. Even now, my snap shots are only in the mid 60 MPH range. My 10 year old kid slaps em at roughly 30 MPH. No offense to my kid, but the difference between his shot and my shoot is laughable. It's a 30 MPH difference. Then it hit me... my shot is 30 MPH slower than NHL players. The difference between my kid's shot and mine is the same difference between my shot and an NHL player. Just as laughable. No matter how good I think my shot is, I suck, haha.

> Questions of fate, duality, and loyalty, evolve in a cruel test of war... By turns brutal and heartfelt, Red Rising is nonstop action with surprising twists and unforgettable characters.

Not even close to the right book, but it almost fits! :)

In seriousness, here's what the OP refers to... from the year (2012) it might be outdated but looks worth reading for fans and has a great cover!

http://www.amazon.com/Red-Rising-Washington-Capitals-Story/dp/1770411054/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451281550&sr=8-1

Marek v Wyshynski nerd out on sweet hockey books all the time. They're worth a listen. Anyway, while I was in a random bookstore in Oamaru (NZ) I found This little gem and bought it on a whim for a friend.

Turns out Dave Bidini is the man and the book is a really good read! There's a great little chapter that recounts his 'where were you' when Esposito gave his speech in '72

There's a great book about the Stanley Cup's Adventures. "Why is the Stanley Cup in Mario Lenieux's Pool" Lots of great stories. One of my favorites involves one player opening up the bottom and carving his name on the inside.

I mean 93 is pretty much universally referred to the greatest season of all time anywhere other than reddit’s youth crowd.

I believe they even did a little expose on it last year as the 25th anniversary.

Edit: because people like downvoting here’s some sources.

https://thehockeywriters.com/picture-perfect-1992-93-season-nhl-network/


https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/goes-brown-nhls-first-100-seasons-ranked/

https://www.arcticicehockey.com/2011/1/21/1947959/the-1992-93-season-a-last-hurrah-for-1980s-hockey

Here’s a book written about it for your reading pleasure

https://www.amazon.ca/Season-Time-Patrick-Unforgettable-1992-93/dp/1118118332

https://www.lighthousehockey.com/2012/6/28/3118683/the-big-o-where-has-the-nhl-of-92-93-gone

Welcome! I bought this book when I was interested in learning more and I've really enjoyed it. Some of the things in it are a little outdated, but it's still a really helpful guide (and it looks like you can get used copies for $0.01!)

Ice Hockey Made Simple, A Spectator's Guide
http://www.amazon.com/Ice-Hockey-Made-Simple-Spectators/dp/1884309119/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419093658&sr=8-1&keywords=ice+hockey+made+simple

I used to have paper books that had this purpose. Here is an example. I used to love this, not just for fantasy hockey purposes but just for geeking out on hockey.

The difference, to me, is that Sherry Ross had a pretty obvious business model for making money from those books. For most websites it's much less obvious they can make money. So, from that perspective, kudos to hockeyatlas.

I really enjoyed Don Cherry's Hockey stories and Don Cherry's Hockey Stories 2
Also i enjoyed McCown's Law: The 100 Greatest Hockey Arguments

Wow. Awesome. Folks who dig this should checkout Tropic Of Hockey. I read it while recovering from a surgery. Kept me motivated to heal an get back on the ice.

I have The Hockey Play Book. If you like studying diagrams for plays it might be helpful. A good book to read through would be The Hockey Handbook by Lloyd Percival; especially the strategy and tactics sections. You can buy it for a penny.

If anyone in this thread is a goalie (or I mean, quite frankly, it's a good book in general), I'd highly recommend reading The Power Within, which a goalie scout co-authored and also interviewed a few NHL goalies. They talk about the flow and how one can get into it if they have problems with that.

>The book includes exclusive and personal interviews with Pekka Rinne (Nashville Predators), Niklas Backstrom (Minnesota Wild), Marty Turco (Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins), Tomas Vokoun (Nashville Predators, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins), Brian Elliott (St. Louis Blues), Richard Bachman (Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers), and Chris Mason (Winnipeg Jets). It also includes interviews with two master goalie coaches, Mitch Korn (Nashville Predators) and Erik Granqvist (Farjestad – Swedish Hockey League). A special thanks to all 10 elite goaltenders and goalie coaches for their willingness to participate in this book.

Any really good hockey books?

I just finished King of Russia based on a comment here in some thread and found it a really fascinating read. I'm looking for more similar things, not necessarily about one player, but more about hockey culture, different countries coming together for play, things like that.

I'm french, and had seen many interviews of this guy. I can assure you that's just one among so very many things he never heard off. He's the perfect example of the kind of footballers depicted in this book:

http://www.amazon.fr/Racaille-Football-Club-Daniel-Riolo/dp/2290088293

Very interesting read, don't know if there's a translation somewhere...

Oh man, there are so many dimensions to fights I'm not sure where to start.

It's everything from intimidation, to players themselves policing the games. As funny as it sounds - fights actually ensure safer games and lesser injuries. How? If you know the 1.90m. 100kg. enforcer is on the ice, you will think twice about making a bad check or roughing up the star player that "goon" was put on the ice to protect.

Another important aspect is momentum and flow. If your team is down, if the fans are not really in the game and not giving that extra edge and push to their team, a fight actually riles up the whole building and sometimes even contributes to changing the pace up for your team and getting them all fired up and hungry.

There is actually a lot going on behind the scenes which casual observers of the game do not understand or notice about the fights. There is an unwritten "code" between all the enforcers and baring some very intense rivalries, most of them actually look out for one another and while the main purpose of a fight is to rough up the opposing fighter, it is never to injure them. There are tonnes of respect between enforcers and they know that for them, its just a job and its never personal, it's all about honor - your teams and your own.

In short - yes, the game (NHL Specifically) would change drastically if fights were outright banned as they are in, lets say, the Olympics.

This is a very interesting aspect of the sport and I could go on and on, but I would rather give you a straight up answer and highly recommend this book if you have further interest in researching the subject.

Welcome! I divorced the Vikings in 1998 and have never regretted the decision.

If you're a history buff, here's a book about the creation of the Wild that was an entertaining read.

https://www.amazon.com/How-Bake-NHL-Franchise-Scratch/dp/1503226751

Here's my suggestions from the last book thread we had about 4 months back:

> How to Bake an NHL Franchise from Scratch: The First Era of the Minnesota Wild is a book written by original Wild AGM, Tom Lynn. It's a first hand account with some cool stories of the Wild's first regime (the pre-Fletcher era).
>
> Another option would be Gabby: Confessions of a Hockey Lifer by Bruce Boudreau. It was published back in 2010 so it predates his time both here and in Anaheim but it's still got some good stories.

If you'd like to read some more, here's a great book: http://www.amazon.com/The-Code-Unwritten-Fighting-Retaliation/dp/1572437561

Two good ones I've read:

Baptism by Ice

King of Russia: A Year in the Russian Super League

they have someone dedicated to keeping it constantly buffed and polished

https://www.amazon.ca/Stanley-Mario-Lemieuxs-Swimming-Pool/dp/1572434406

an amazing read of some of those stories

I'd recommend Tropic of Hockey by Dave Bidini. Great read about the author's travels to find (and play) hockey around the world.

That might be the worst list I've ever seen.

I mean, they didn't put "The Game" by Ken Dryden on there, widely regarded as one of the best sports books of all time.

A couple of other good ones I've read include

King of Russia - Dave King about coaching in the USSR

The Final Call - Kerry Fraser - Kerry Fraser's book that is full of really good stories from his reffing career.

I'm about half-way through the book right now. Seems like it'd be a complete bore for anyone that isn't interested in the life of an aspiring professional athlete, but I've loved it so far.

It's there to keep both teams honest. A two minute penalty can be "well worth it" (Mighty Ducks, anyone?) for taking a cheap shot if you're completely protected from retaliation. I'd highly recommend The Code by Ross Bernstein for some interesting reading.

As far as getting out of hand, all-out brawling has been reined in a bit since the famous fights of the 1970s. You can't be a third man into a fight, and if two players are already fighting, anyone who gets into a subsequent fight is automatically ejected from the game.

Sorry for the late reply. It is very hard to work, watch hockey and reddit.

Here is a great book if you can get your hands on it:

https://www.amazon.com.au/Code-Unwritten-Rules-Fighting-Retaliation/dp/1572437561

If you cannot be bothered reading, CBC did a documentary on it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwe6LgsPn-A

Basically, fighting is an important part of hockey. There is an unwritten code that surrounds it. Although it is complex, it is a vital part of the sport.

I'm bummed I didn't see this topic earlier. I've given a couple of speeches in college about this subject. About the only thing I can add to the discussion is the Fighting in Ice Hockey Wiki page and the well put together book called The Code: The Unwritten Rules of Fighting and Retaliation in the NHL. There is a LOT more honor and respect in fighting than one would think.

Here's an excellent book that lays it out; [The Code](http://www.amazon.com/Code-Unwritten-Rules-Fighting-Retaliation/dp/1572437561/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238851453&sr=8-1 "Tony Twist is a badass").

I guess the big two rules to know would be icing and offsides

Icing is when an offensive player sends the puck into the offensive zone from the far side of the center ice line. If the puck then crosses the red line in the offensive zone (the goal line, but not in the net) and a defensive player gets to one of the face off dots in that end, it is icing. Sort hard to explain so I hope that makes sense.

Offsides is when a member of the offensive team crosses the blue line into the offensive zone before the puck does. So basically the puck has to be in the offensive zone before any other offensive players can cross the blue line.

Now for fights... There pretty much an unwritten code about that. If you're really interested in the topic, I highly recommend the book The Code. Essentially fighting is a way for players to police the game themselves if necessary. Say if a player takes a cheap shot, you might have a fight to send a message to the other team. Also might be used to try to swing the momentum in a game if a team gets down a few early. Every now and then, theres a cheap shot one game, but it will be a few games later between the teams that everything boils over into a huge fight or sometimes even a line brawl.

Tonight was a great game. Hope you liked what you saw . NBCSN has games on pretty much every night if you want to watch more!

King of Russia is an interesting read about the inner workings of the KHL.

Thunder and Lightning wasn't too bad. It's Phil Esposito's biography.

The Oilers had to smuggle fugitive forward Frankie “Seldom” Beaton out of their dressing room in an equipment bag, the Jersey Knights played on a rink that actually had a slope to it, the NHL owners messing with the WHA teams (the leafs owner had the toronto WHA team's arena's lights dim for their first game, got rid of the pads on the home team bench).

WHA also had their draft age at 18 while the NHL's was 20 at the time, allowing the WHA to poach young kids with more money then the NHL would offer at a younger age. (The NHL would lower their draft age to compete with the WHA there). WHA also went after European players at a time when the NHL was primarily North-American.

Book i read was The Rebel League. Highly recommend it, really entertaining.

>I'm bummed I didn't see this topic earlier. I've given a couple of speeches in college about this subject. About the only thing I can add to the discussion is the Fighting in Ice Hockey Wiki page and the well put together book called The Code: The Unwritten Rules of Fighting and Retaliation in the NHL. There is a LOT more honor and respect in fighting than one would think.



>The short answer: Hockey's approach to fighting is to let the combatants unload all of their aggression on each other at once - as opposed to having it draw out for entire game in potentially more dangerous forms such as: head shots, boarding, spearing, clipping, etc..

I won't provide the long answer but it has to do with the speed of the game, adrenaline, the presence of sticks, and the roles of enforcers and super stars.



>Everyone's hitting the right notes, but in order to really get a hold of why fighting is allowed in hockey, you have to consider that protecting star players is of utmost importance, as the opposing team can get away with a lot of cheap shots.

>Case in point: When Gretzky played for the Kings, the opposing teams players used to come after him all game long. So the Kings got Marty McSorley (Big Fighter) on board. Any time a player would go after Gretzky for a few shifts, or cheap shot him, McSorley would get on the ice and fight him. This was to send a message that there is a price to pay for picking on important players.

>Nowadays, fighting is still around, but much less than before because referees are a lot more strict in enforcing penalties. Nonetheless, it is still allowed. Nowadays, perhaps, also for entertainment purposes.

>EDIT: There is also another reaason, which is basically when you see a team start fights late in the game. Often times it is the captain who starts a brawl late in the game when his team is down. This is to get the team pumped up, and to have them realize it's time to step their game up!

http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/n29u5/eli5_why_are_hockey_fights_allowed_to_happen_but/

King of Russia by Dave King. It is Dave King's autobiography about him coaching in the Russian Superleague (turned into the KHL) and the craziness that went on over there. Great easy read that not only clues into the cultural divide, but how a head coach approaches the game.

Journeyman by Sean Pronger. Eye-opening and hilarious.

Do yourself a favor and pick this up

http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-Mario-Lemieuxs-Swimming-Pool/dp/1572434406

And only $494 for the hardcover! I think what you really want (and is recommended by Tarasov) is Lloyd Percival's book. This was really their blueprint. And it's only $2.19 in paperback
https://www.amazon.ca/Hockey-Handbook-Lloyd-Percival/dp/0771070160

Those interested in reading more on the intersection of hockey, economics, business, and culture may want to take a look at Artificial Ice: Hockey, Culture, and Commerce, edited by David Whitson and Richard Gruneau. The book was published seven years ago, but it still provides relevant discussions on league expansion/contraction, marketing, rule changes, etc. This book review from the Canadian Journal of Sociology gives a more detailed summary.

He was replace by Jacques Plante who missed practices so he could go cross-country skiing.

Plante later return to playing because the WHA's caliber was so low ho could earn some easy cash. He became the first player in history to miss a game because he got sunburned laying on the side of a pool in Phoenix.

The WHA ladies and gentlemen.

Source: Rebel league https://www.amazon.ca/Rebel-League-Unruly-Hockey-Association/dp/077108949X

Perhaps consider picking up some reading material - I'd suggest this book which is in my home, that both myself and my boy have read... Solid read. Goaltending is the toughest position in sports...

​

https://www.amazon.ca/Power-Within-Discovering-Elite-Goaltending/dp/1494358840

The Code

A book written about this in Hockey.

And one for Baseball.

The Code

Hockey has just as many unwritten rules. It's called "The Code". http://www.amazon.com/The-Code-Unwritten-Fighting-Retaliation/dp/1572437561

There's a book about it.
http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-Mario-Lemieuxs-Swimming-Pool/dp/1572434406

Link: http://www.amazon.ca/Journeyman-Whos-Seen-Everything-Hockey/dp/0670065919

Further Reading: http://www.amazon.com/The-Code-Unwritten-Fighting-Retaliation/dp/1572437561/

https://www.amazon.ca/One-Night-Only-Conversations-One-Game/dp/1770412972

How about a whole book?

Hockey Prospectus 2011-12 or The Rebel League: The Short and Unruly Life of the World Hockey Association

The Code: The Unwritten Rules of Fighting and Retaliation in the NHL
Ross Bernstein

http://www.amazon.com/The-Code-Unwritten-Fighting-Retaliation/dp/1572437561

Totally... what a little bitch. If you get called out.. you square off, drop the gloves and go for it.

This isn't 'Nam.. there are RULES:

http://www.amazon.com/Code-Unwritten-Rules-Fighting-Retaliation/dp/1572437561

Not true. If there truly was a "code" then you wouldn't have the McSorley incident or the Bertuzzi incident where players who declined to fight were still hunted down and assaulted. There is little to no fighting in other sports. There is little to no fighting in the playoffs because the consequences are so high. Since the NHL has tightened up the rules and made stiffer penalties, there are fewer fights. The only reason you had fighting was because the fans liked it. That is changing, thankfully. If you would like to learn more, this is a good book on fighting in hockey (https://www.amazon.com/Code-Unwritten-Rules-Fighting-Retaliation/dp/1572437561)

You're right, using examples of when "The Code," is ridiculous isn't intelligent to do because it makes "The Code," look bad. We can go on with other examples? Ray Emery? Chris Simon? Trevor Gillies? Marty McSorley?

It's not "boiling down," "The Code," is the definition (ridiculous and murky as it may be,) of how fighting works in the NHL. Read Ross Bernstein's book about the many different ways fighting attempts to define itself within the realms of the game. "The Code," is exactly what this is about. And, "The Code," is garbage.

The funniest thing about all of this? Brooks Orpik has fought to "answer to his hits," before. Including "answering," to his arguably dirtiest hit when he injured Erik Cole. As Orpik has gotten older he has fought less because he doesn't and shouldn't have to. You know who else delivered huge body checks, fought a lot early in his career, but then did it less as he got older? Scott Stevens. This is all ridiculous though, as "getting punched in the face," hasn't been a deterrent to anything since the modern rules were put into place. But, hey, if you think the way fighting worked in the 70s with bench clearing brawls not having any extra consequence, go for it. Fighting is dying, just like stick fighting died before it. I just hope a player doesn't have to die fighting before it stops. Though, with the deaths of men like Wade Belak, Rick Rypien, and Derek Boogaard, perhaps people already have died because of fighting. Don Sanderson dying because his head smashed off the ice during a fight in the OHL is "just part of the game," too I guess.


The ridiculous logic of Sanderson's death is, instead of banning fighting, we'll just make sure players keep their helmets on when they bare knuckle box. It'd be hilarious if this rule didn't exist because someone DIED.

And, for the record, if you're going to give a snide, looking down your nose, remark about someone not understanding, at least use proper grammar while trying to act above someone.