Brian Burke gives all-time response when asked if fighting will end as hockey evolves
Former National Hockey League executive Brian Burke was recently asked in an interview if fighting will go the way of the Dodo as the game continues to evolve and he gave an all-time response to that question.
There's no question that fighting has gone down over the last 10-15 years and is nowhere near what it was like in the 1980's, 1990's, etc., but it can be necessary in hockey for several reasons including defending a teammate after a dangerous hit/incident.
Although, according to a 2022 study from PLOS One, fighting between players leads to more violent activity during National Hockey League games. PLOS One's study contradicts what National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman has said for years - that fighting between players causes less violence in games.
During the 2022-23 NHL season, there were a total of 334 fights involving 276 different players, according to Hockeyfights.com. The Ottawa Senators led the league in fights by a team, while Nicolas Deslauriers led the league in fights by an individual with 14.
Do you want fighting to remain apart of the game or are you against fighting? Let us know what you think in the poll below!
| POLL | ||
Are you for or against fighting in hockey? | ||
| I'm for fighting | 335 | 85 % |
| I'm against it | 28 | 7.1 % |
| Indifferent | 25 | 6.3 % |
| See Results | 6 | 1.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
