Leaked Emails Have NHL Executives on the Hot Seat

NHL in Hot Water After Globe and Mail Leaks Emails Regarding Discussions Over Violence in Hockey

Earlier this week, The Globe and Mail released a search-optimized article that provided detailed emails between several NHL executives. The messages are primarily revolved around the violence in hockey, with a focus on dangerous hits and fighting.

There have been lingering issues with fighting in hockey and the NHL seems to be losing the battle. Several connections have been made with regards to violence in the sport as players deal with mental and physical problems after serving as an ‘enforcer’ in the NHL.

As mentioned in the Globe and Mail article, the three names that always come up are Rick Rypien, Derek Boogaard and Wade Belak. All three former NHL players lost their lives due to mental health issues and their deaths fell within a four-month span in 2011. Despite the individual cause of death, all three players were known for their physical play and paid the price dearly.

These days, players like Wayne Simmonds are the new breed. They can score and skate with the best players in the league. When necessary, they can throw the fisticuffs as well.

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Is this a new problem for the NHL?

Actually, it seems to be more of a scapegoat. If players have the ability to produce offensively and have a legitimate impact on the ice, the NHL could easily say that the ‘goon’ role is dead but there is still a place for fighting in the sport. Simmonds is the closest thing to a goon in the new NHL but is a focal part of the Philadelphia Flyers attack.

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To get the ball rolling, junior level teams need to rid themselves of this practice. The USHL and the CHL (OHL, QMJHL, WHL) are the most popular junior leagues in North America and have a clear say in how this problem unfolds moving forward.

Forcing the young hockey talent to play without the added violence can only have a positive effect at the professional level. If players drafted into the NHL lack the ability or experience to maintain a fighting role in the league, it would seem tough for a team to push that role without a worthy candidate.

On the flip side, there is nothing better than watching two players, with a true emotional attachment to the fight, throwing down during a late-season surge or the seventh game of a playoff series. One of the most memorable clashes would be Jarome Iginla and Vincent Lecavalier during their infamous Stanley Cup battle in 2004.