Contrary to popular belief, the number of fights in the NHL is stable rather than declining. This has some stakeholders in the hockey world worried that players from Quebec will have even greater difficulty recruiting to the big leagues due to regulations banning fights in the QMJHL.
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This season there have been 118 duels in the Bettman circuit in the 478 games played so far (excluding the games on Tuesday evening). This corresponds to a rate of 0.247 battles per encounter.
So over an entire season we are talking about 324 battles.
That's virtually identical to last season, when there were 334 fights, a very similar rate of 0.254 per game.
A year earlier, the numbers were roughly the same again at 331 fights (0.252 per game).
One more question
Getty Images via AFP
Before the season, the QMJHL decided to stop the fighting as much as possible by expelling the pugilists involved and imposing a one-game suspension on the instigator or any player involved in a second fight.
The intended deterrent effect is obviously bearing fruit. Only 15 battles took place in the QMJHL, compared to 120 in the Ontario League and 147 in the WHL.
A Quebec agent for NHL players agrees, without being named, to assure the Journal that QMJHL players will emerge as losers when it comes time to be evaluated by scouts.
“You can’t be hypocritical. No one will want to say it, but it's another layer that adds to the perception compared to the guys in the QMJHL. There are already negative stereotypes against the QMJHL and you are reinforcing them. No one will talk to you about it, but give a couple of Boy Scouts two beers and they'll talk. It creates an extra level of questioning for them, that's guaranteed,” confides this agent.
The QMJHL apart
Before the new rule, fights in the QMJHL had already been declining sharply for several years. There were 87 fights last season, compared to 234 in Ontario and 284 in the West.
The agent consulted for this report says he agrees with the reduction in fighting but believes all leagues should dance on the same footing.
“The National League needs to know how a player reacts when someone gets in the face of his best teammate. There is an element of robustness that is unlikely to go away. When playing a contact sport, there is inevitably an intimidation factor. “You want to know if the players are afraid,” he pleads.
The happy inspector
QMJHL Commissioner Mario Cecchini. Photo Marcel Tremblay / QMI Agency
The commissioner of the QMJHL, Mario Cecchini, does not at all share the vision that the players in his circle are disadvantaged.
“I dare to hope that this is not a problem on the NHL side. The guys in Europe don't fight, the guys in the NCAA don't either, and that doesn't stop them from getting drafted.
“Do some people have prejudices? Absolutely! Scouts are people who meet the needs of their team. “I try to talk to as many hockey players as possible, and the belief that eliminating fighting is harmful to our players is a minority opinion,” he argues in an interview with the Journal.
In his eyes, players feel better even without the pressure of fighting, even if they don't shout it from the rooftops.
“I was at the QMJHL Cup in Châteauguay last Friday night and had to speak to 150 parents of the players on our teams. They all told me that the young people were very happy. “The children won't say it and I don't blame them for not wanting to talk about it officially, but there is no one who is disappointed,” he assures.
The commissioner also adds that the other leagues are not currently in concrete discussions with him to also abolish the fights.
“I know it excites the leagues. I know the world is watching. The doombirds said that the lockdowns would increase with pig punches as there would be no more fighting. The truth is that if we lift the automatic bans due to fighting, we will have fewer suspensions than last year,” he says.
No problem
For his part, the Devils scout André Savard assures that in his fraternity the question of fights is not on the agenda when it comes to taking stock of a player.
“Above all, we look for talent, work ethic and consistency. They see if the player is improving. The fact that there is no fight is not a problem. If the guy works and isn’t afraid to play in traffic to produce, he has what it takes,” he explains.
SOME OBSERVATIONS ON FIGHTING
- In the NHL, the seven clubs that have been involved in the fewest fights this season are the Avalanche, Islanders, Hurricanes, Devils, Penguins, Red Wings and Blues, with four each. If the playoffs started today, the Avalanche, Islanders and Hurricanes would be in the tournament.
- Conversely, the Predators (14), Wild (12), Lightning (11), Senators (11), Ducks (11), Jets (10), Canucks (10) and Flyers (10) are the teams that threw the ball Gloves at least 10 times. Four of them (Predators, Jets, Canucks and Flyers) would be playoffs.
- All division leaders, namely the Bruins (6), Rangers (7), Stars (5) and Golden Knights (6), are among the least struggling teams.
- The Canadian is in the middle of the field with nine fights.
- The QMJHL has gone from a seven-game battle last year to a roughly 20-game battle this season. According to Commissioner Mario Cecchini, attendance increased by 4%, with 14 teams remaining stable or increasing.