The sport of ice hockey has been thrust into the spotlight following the tragic death of Nottingham Panthers star Adam Johnson at the weekend.
During a game against the Sheffield Steelers, 29-year-old Johnson had his throat slit by his opponent Matt Petgrave’s blade, leaving the 8,000 fans in attendance horrified.
Tributes poured in for Johnson in the hockey community and beyond, while his Westin teammate Michaud defended Petgrave after he was shockingly accused of intentionally kicking Johnson before his death.
The English Ice Hockey Association (EIHA) acted quickly after Johnson’s death and made neck protection mandatory for all players from 2024. He also made a “strong recommendation” to players to wear them before this date.
But can more be done to make sport safer? After all, ice hockey is “probably the most dangerous sport in the world,” as one fan summarized on X on Saturday.
Adam Johnson (pictured) died over the weekend after the blade of a skate cut his throat during a hockey game
In ice hockey there are regular fights in which those involved are often not automatically thrown out
Multiple players can be involved, which can lead to ugly scenes on the ice at times
First, let’s take a look at the role of “enforcers.”
These players are sometimes referred to as “fighters” because that is exactly what they do.
Their job is to respond to foul play by opponents by tackling or controlling them, and they do not often need a second invitation to intervene.
Enforcers have also been known to take boxing lessons to improve their skills, showing how seriously they take their role.
Then we turn to the players known as “pests”.
These are the ultimate wind-up dealers, players who try to upset their opponents through overly physical play or verbal abuse. If they get a reaction, they’ve done their job.
When there are pests looking to start fights, and the enforcers are only too happy to oblige, physical altercations on the rink are inevitable.
According to Insidetherink.com, there were 334 official fights in the 2022-23 season in the National Hockey League (NHL), widely considered the sport’s gold standard division.
Notably, this number is significantly lower than at the turn of the millennium, but that’s still a high number of battles over the course of a campaign.
In pretty much any other sport, a player would automatically be sent off if he got into a fight. In football, even putting your hand in an opponent’s face will likely result in a red card.
But ice hockey is completely different.
The standard response to a fight is to impose a severe five-minute penalty. Tougher sanctions may also be imposed on fighters deemed to be instigators. Still, players in the NHL aren’t automatically banned for fighting.
There are some rules that must be followed. Players are not allowed to use their hockey sticks as weapons, must wear their helmets, and must remove their gloves to fight with bare knuckles because the padding in the gloves can cause more serious injuries.
Players must remove their gloves to fight bare-fingered, while also having to put on their helmet
His death has raised questions about how safe the sport of hockey really is
If a player receives three serious penalties in a match that includes a fight, he will be sent off and fined. However, this gives him two opportunities to wreak havoc on the ice without receiving the ultimate penalty.
With this in mind, it’s no wonder that fights regularly spiral out of control.
Ice hockey uses the term “roughing” for smaller fights that take place with gloves and where the officials feel like they have things under control and allow more leeway. These fights typically result in a two-minute penalty.
But some fights become far more serious and it is not uncommon for one or more players to be left lying down and requiring medical attention.
This is why ice hockey is also called the “most dangerous player”.
Players can become unconscious during fights or suffer other serious injuries if they fall to the ground. Remember, these physical confrontations all take place on ice, just to add to the danger!
The famous American comedian Rodney Dangerfield once joked, “I went to the fight last night and there was a hockey game.” This joke shows how common fights are in ice hockey.
The question remains: is it time for that to change?
After Johnson’s death, safety in sports has never been more important.
Hockey fights have become the norm and bring audiences to their feet as they watch to see who emerges victorious.
But is it all worth it? Is fighting really necessary in a sport where players already put themselves at risk by racing across the ice at almost unimaginable speeds while trying to control a puck?
Brawls can leave several players stranded on the ice and serious injuries can result
The fights entertain the audience, but whether they are really necessary remains questionable
Ice hockey is already a dangerous sport without fighting as players try to control a small puck on the court
These questions have been asked before and hockey has remained largely the same.
Yes, the number of fights has been reduced, but they are still common.
The introduction of compulsory neck protection is a step in the right direction for sport.
Now hockey must ask itself whether it is willing to go further to protect players in the future.