The Hockey News has been providing the most comprehensive coverage of the world of hockey since 1947. In each issue, you'll find news, features and opinions about the NHL and leagues across North America and the world.

December 8, 2014

The Hockey News - December 8, 2014

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-012290/9997680-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="526" height="923"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(RYAN BROOK/TC MEDIA)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b><b>F YOU&rsquo;RE A REGULAR READER OF THIS PUBLICATION,</b> you know Ken Campbell and Adam Proteau, two of our leading writers, lean left when it comes to fighting in hockey. If you follow us online, particularly Twitter, you&rsquo;ve likely noticed Ryan Kennedy, one of our louder voices in the social media sphere, is an ardent fan of the fisticuffs. That division of opinion on the most contentious issue in the NHL is representative of the editorial staff of THN: it&rsquo;s a split decision. In fact, more members of our team are OK with a heat-of-the-moment, passionpowered punch-up than against it.</p><p>We think that&rsquo;s important for you to bear in mind as you consume this special report on fighting. As a brand, we aren&rsquo;t advocating a particular course of action. It&rsquo;s our intention to present the broad spectrum, to provoke thought, generate feedback and stimulate chatter.</p><p>Thematically, we&rsquo;re presenting the issue in the context of past, present and future. Proteau chronicles the origins of pugilism in our game and gets reflections from noted punchers in a report beginning on pg. 22. Campbell goes inside the minds of Bobby Robins, Marc Laforge and Boby Fugere to discover at what points in their careers they opted to start throwing &rsquo;em down and why (pg. 36). And Kennedy presents a state of the union before peering forward to project what changes, if any, we can expect to a component many believe is part of the fabric of the game (pg. 30).</p><p>The big-picture stories are complemented by data, team fighter rankings, features (including a terrific excerpt on Brandon Prust from Bob McKenzie&rsquo;s book <i>Hockey Confidential</i>), an industry-insiders survey and snapshots of the most prominent pugilists in today&rsquo;s NHL.</p><p>And we&rsquo;ve given free rein to our three heavyweights to trade punches on either side of the debate on their opinion pages.</p><p>We&rsquo;re eager to hear your thoughts and feedback, via email, Twitter, Facebook or Google+. We&rsquo;ll be soliciting you on our social media platforms to get your perspective, to tell us where you stand, what you like about our coverage and what you don&rsquo;t.</p><p>Just don&rsquo;t even think of accusing us of trying to push an anti-fighting agenda, or we&rsquo;ll have to sick Campbell on you to pop you one in the schnozz.</p><p><b>NEXT ISSUE</b> JANUARY 5, 2015</p><p><b>CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TO SUBSCRIBE:</b> <a href="http://THN.com">thn.com</a></p><p><b>CONTACT US:</b> <a href="mailto:editorial@thehockeynews.com">editorial@thehockeynews.com</a></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-021941/9997673-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="414" height="222"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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DEPARTMENTS

TOTAL TALE OF THE TAPE

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0066-02113/9999937-1-eng-US/f0066-022.jpg" title="f0066-02" width="792" height="910"><figcaption class="caption-body">ERIC <b>BOULTON</b> <span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b><b>N A JUBILANT NEW YORK ISLANDERS</b> dressing room after a recent overtime road win over the Anaheim Ducks, Eric Boulton snapped the scoresheet out of the hands of Islanders star John Tavares. &ldquo;First game of the year!&rdquo; Boulton exclaimed. &ldquo;Might be the last!&rdquo;</p><p>When a species goes extinct, often the last to actually realize it are the ones in it. But that clearly is not the case with Boulton. He sees the end coming for his ilk. After all, that game was the Islanders&rsquo; 12th of this season and it was the first time Boulton had participated in anything beyond the morning skate and pre-game warm-up. Even at the relatively paltry salary of $650,000, there&rsquo;s not a team in the world that wants to pay a guy to play in 8.5 percent of his team&rsquo;s games. So it&rsquo;s likely Boulton will take his almost $8 million in career earnings and ride off into the sunset, leaving the NHL with one fewer one-dimensional player.</p><p>This is hardly a requiem for a heavyweight. Enforcers around the NHL are being organically phased out. The ones who aren&rsquo;t in the minors or still looking for work are getting spot duty, more often than not finding themselves in the press box or with their pants nailed to the bench when the puck drops for real. And with apologies to Martha Stewart, that&rsquo;s a good thing. In fact, the list of leaders in NHL fights is crowded with a bunch of middleweights who can actually play the game as well.</p><p>What we&rsquo;re seeing is a slowly evolving trend. And what it is allowing us to do, perhaps for the first time in the history of the NHL, is at least envision what the game would be like if there were no fighting. Through the first month, league was seeing roughly one fight every three games. Just to be clear, that&rsquo;s just one instance in 180 minutes or more of fierce, intense and physical competition where opponents saw fit to drop their gloves and start pounding on one another. In only four (four!) of the league&rsquo;s first 186 games was there more than one fight.</p><p>If this trend continues, there will be so little fighting in the NHL that you have to wonder why the league even bothers to devote five pages of its rulebook to it and endure the criticism that comes with it. To be sure, the appetite for the insipid staged fight between the dancing bears has all but disappeared. But even without the staged fight, bareknuckle boxing on skates is clearly becoming a smaller and smaller part of this great game.</p><p>And have things changed drastically? Are the so-called &ldquo;rats&rdquo; that seemed to require teams to have an enforcer in the past running around with impunity and taking out the stars of the game at the knees? No more than when there was more fighting, I&rsquo;d argue. Are sticks any higher than they were in the past? Are players taking more liberties with one another and respecting them less?</p><p>The answer, at least anecdotally, is no. After a very quiet period to start the season, the league&rsquo;s department of player safety is once again handing out suspensions at a pretty regular rate. Almost every night now we&rsquo;re seeing a handful of hits where there&rsquo;s a debate whether or not the player should be suspended. Nothing terribly new with that.</p><p>So let&rsquo;s assume for the moment that the sky is not falling. The game is not being overrun with players of questionable character and those who do cross the line are being dealt with more harshly than before. (From a personal standpoint, there have been a couple of suspensions this season that were actually longer than I expected they would be, like the three-gamer to Vancouver&rsquo;s Alexandre Burrows for his headshot on Montreal&rsquo;s Alexei Emelin.)</p><p>I once had an agent ask me that if the league removed fighting, who would police  the likes of Matt Cooke. And we all know the answer to that. Matt Cooke was never deterred from being a dirty player by the prospect of being beaten up. What did prompt the transformation in his game &ndash; at least for a while &ndash; was the prospect that it was going to be taken away from him for good.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;GOONS ARE SLOWLY AND QUIETLY BEING WEEDED OUT AND THE GAME IS SURVIVING JUST FINE</blockquote><p>And that&rsquo;s where we are in the game. Fighting is no longer serving as a deterrent. The one-dimensional goons are slowly and quietly been weeded out and the game is surviving just fine. The point is, we don&rsquo;t actually have to wait until fighting is gone to see what effect it has on the game because it&rsquo;s such a miniscule part of the proceedings anyway.</p><p>So why not just cut the cord and make it official? Will anyone really notice? Will anyone really care? Will anyone stop going to the games or stop watching them on television? No more than have already stopped because they&rsquo;re not getting their bloodlust satisfied.</p><p>It&rsquo;s time. Not because some people find it offensive &ndash; some to their sensibilities, others to their intelligence. Not because someone someday is going to be killed doing it. It&rsquo;s time because it no longer has a place in the game. The NHL is proving that beyond a reasonable doubt.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0066-01184/9999930-1-eng-US/f0066-012.jpg" title="f0066-01" width="200" height="238"></div><p><b>CAN&rsquo;T GET ENOUGH CAMPBELL?</b> GO TO <b><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM</a></b> FOR DAILY UPDATES<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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LAST GOON STANDING

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RONNIE SHUKER</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0012-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-012322/9998037-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>HEALTHY HOCKEY MOMS</b> Food gurus Erin Phillips and Korey Kealey are hoping to make healthy eating cool among kids.</figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>K</span></b><b>OREY KEALEY AND ERIN PHILLIPS</b> know a thing or two about healthy eating. As a culinary expert, Kealey is around food every day. So is Phillips, a registered nutritionist and the wife of Ottawa Senators defenseman Chris Phillips.</p><p>Both women have children in hockey and know all too well the challenges parents face getting their kids to eat healthy while schlepping them to and from practices, games and, especially, tournaments.</p><p>For a weekend competition her son had in Toronto last year, Kealey went as far as lugging a kitchen appliance on a train from Ottawa to make sure he and his teammates had the energy they needed. &ldquo;I had one of those duffle bags on wheels, and I put the slow cooker at the bottom then filled it with frozen chicken and some freezer packs,&rdquo; Kealey said. &ldquo;I brought plastic platters, serving utensils &ndash; everything you need to throw together a potluck. When I wheeled it on the train, I had to pay extra just to bring it on because it was way too heavy.&rdquo;</p><p>If that sounds a bit hardcore, well, it is (though the kids sure enjoyed the chicken tacos, and other meals, she made). But in <i>The Ultimate Cookbook for Hockey Families</i>, Kealey and Phillips have simplified healthy eating for kids by tackling all the questions hockey parents are struggling to solve. &ldquo;Everywhere I go in rinks, everyone is always coming up and asking me, &lsquo;What do you feed Chris? What do you feed your kids? And how do you do it all by yourself?&rdquo; Phillips said. &ldquo;As a nutritionist I was struggling, and I see people giving their kids the drivethru stuff on their way home and slushies at the rink. I just wanted to break down nutrition and really educate kids to take control of their own health.&rdquo;</p><p>In their cookbook, Kealey and Phillips have given hockey parents everything they need to know about healthy living for their kids: nutrition basics, proper hydration, adequate sleep and pre- and post-game meals. It also includes recipes for salads, smoothies, soups, snacks and full-blown dinners. Power pucks, an oat-based energy snack, are especially popular &ndash; now that they&rsquo;ve been branded. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been making them for years, but my kids never really wanted to eat them,&rdquo; Phillips said. &ldquo;As soon as we called them &lsquo;power pucks,&rsquo; they started flying out of my house, and my husband was eating them before games&hellip;From there, Korey and I changed all the names of our recipes and really made it hockey related.&rdquo;</p><p>They also added a huge helping of star power to sell healthy eating to kids. Using food favorites from players like Daniel Alfredsson, Zdeno Chara, Mike Fisher, Claude Giroux, Erik Karlsson, P.K. Subban and Jason Spezza, Kealey and Phillips have cobbled together a big batch of healthy recipes kids will crave. &ldquo;If little Johnny says, &lsquo;Mom, I want you to make Fisher&rsquo;s slap-shot spaghetti casserole,&rsquo; that&rsquo;s half the battle,&rdquo; Kealey said. &ldquo;If you know what to make, you can go get the ingredients, and you can make it. It&rsquo;s getting kids to direct parents, and hopefully they&rsquo;ll want to make it themselves.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>FOOD FROM THE PROS</b></h2><p><i>The Ultimate Cookbook for Hockey Familes</i> features recipes from 27 stars.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-021832/9998030-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="504" height="359"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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HEALTHY EATS FROM THE START

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0021-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-011359/9998421-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>PURE PASSION</b> The fight between Vincent Lecavalier and Jarome Iginla in the &rsquo;04 final is the kind most fans seem cool with.</figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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FEATURES

THE FIGHTING ISSUE

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0003-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0003-012228/9997642-1-eng-US/f0003-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MAD HATTER</b> Tanner Glass has a wardrobe malfunction during a scrap. <span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

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IN THIS ISSUE

OPENING FACEOFF

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-012520/9997798-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="638" height="793"><figcaption class="caption-body">CLINT <b>MALARCHUK</b> <span class="photo-credit">(B BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><i><span>Y</span>our Fear Issue has been one of my favorite reads of the year. Kudos to Clint Malarchuk for his honesty in &ldquo;Whiskey & Pills&rdquo; (Nov. 3). Anything that brings awareness to mental illness deserves a pat on the back. My personal fear is the NHL turning into ballet on ice, so I was delighted to read Ken Campbell&rsquo;s Overtime column that predicts enforcers will not go quietly into the night. I hope he&rsquo;s right.</i></p><p><b><i>Mary Baldackin, Parry Sound, Ont.</i></b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-021729/9997805-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="142" height="142"></div><p>LOVE OR HATE ONE OF OUR FEATURES/STORIES?</p><p>LET US KNOW BY EMAILING US AT <a href="mailto:letters@thehockeynews.com">LETTERS@THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM</a></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-031037/9997791-1-eng-US/f0006-032.jpg" title="f0006-03" width="475" height="126"></div><h2><b>PUCKPOLL</b></h2><p>ARE YOU DISAPPOINTED WITH THE DOWNWARD TREND IN FIGHTING IN THE NHL?</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-04668/9997784-1-eng-US/f0006-042.jpg" title="f0006-04" width="474" height="229"></div><h2><b>KEEP IT PG</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-05528/9997777-1-eng-US/f0006-052.jpg" title="f0006-05" width="134" height="85"></div><p>Just a reminder that young readers look at your magazine, like my four-year-old son. The photo to open the Clint Malarchuk feature was over the line. I know it is part of hockey history and stands out in every hockey fan&rsquo;s memory, but that picture used wasn&rsquo;t in good taste. I didn&rsquo;t like having to lie to my son, saying it was red paint on the ice. Granted, hockey is a potentially dangerous sport, so he should be aware of the risk, but that was a bit much. Otherwise we continue to love THN and always look forward to a new issue showing up at our house.</p><p><b><i>Fraser Willsey, Ottawa</i></b></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>PHILLY LIARS</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-06379/9997770-1-eng-US/f0006-062.jpg" title="f0006-06" width="139" height="87"></div><p>It is so funny to read the Philadelphia Flyers were only reacting and that the brawls were &ldquo;just as much initiated by the opposition&rdquo; (&ldquo;Broad Street Bullies Oral History,&rdquo; Nov. 3). I loved the quote from Bobby Clarke about the game against the Red Army: &ldquo;The Russians accused us of hitting and being violent, but there was hardly any of that,&rdquo; and Bob Kelly&rsquo;s assessment that the Red Army team left the ice because they were &ldquo;frustrated and disoriented.&rdquo; I guess Kharlamov&rsquo;s ankle broke because it hit Clarke&rsquo;s stick. Come on, guys! You were mostly thugs with a couple of talented players and you owe those two Stanley Cups to great goaltending. Fred Shero&rsquo;s system can be summed up in two words: Bernie Parent! Thank God for the 1975-76 Montreal Canadiens.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-07255/9997763-1-eng-US/f0006-072.jpg" title="f0006-07" width="404" height="637"></div><p><b><i>Normand Tratt Mascouche, Que.</i></b></p><h2><b>ZERO TOLERANCE</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-08161/9997756-1-eng-US/f0006-082.jpg" title="f0006-08" width="154" height="96"></div><p>Four pages on Zdeno Chara (&ldquo;The NHL&rsquo;s Scariest Fighter,&rdquo; Nov. 3), with mentions of a Bryan McCabe fight and a spat with Brendan Smith, but nothing on the time he broke Max Pacioretty&rsquo;s neck? Chara was retaliating from a previous Pacioretty game-winning-goal celebration when &lsquo;Big Z&rsquo; (&lsquo;Z&rsquo; for zero, not Zdeno, of course) was on the ice. I read it two times just to make sure I wasn&rsquo;t missing something. Does Ryan Kennedy follow hockey at all? Unbelievable.</p><p><b><i>Dominique Larouche, Montreal</i></b></p><h2><b>QUICK&rsquo;S NO KING</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-09111/9997749-1-eng-US/f0006-092.jpg" title="f0006-09" width="154" height="91"></div><p>After reading just a few pages of your Fear Issue, I find myself disagreeing with you once again. Jonathan Quick is not the scariest goalie to face 1-on-1. Henrik Lundqvist is. I get that Quick has two Stanley Cups to Lundqvist&rsquo;s zero, but come on. Quick is overrated. Maybe that&rsquo;s why he can&rsquo;t win a medal in the Olympics.</p><p><b><i>Matt Hauryski Bath, N.Y.</i></b></p><h2><b>PERFECT IS A BONUS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-1166/9997742-1-eng-US/f0006-112.jpg" title="f0006-11" width="154" height="91"></div><p>I am glad to hear that being perfect is high priority at The Hockey News (Editor&rsquo;s Notebook, Nov. 3). But I don&rsquo;t expect it. As an avid reader in a day of Twitter, digital media, blogs, and Facebook, there is no shortage of opinions on the game, teams and players I love. I can go anywhere for information on hockey, but no one matches THN&rsquo;s insight. I can tell every article is thoroughly researched and true journalism is on every page. I don&rsquo;t know much about journalism, but I can feel it on the pages as I read. The predictions are well researched, well thought out. The stories are captivating. You can&rsquo;t get that on marginal blogs. I will never point out the flaws in the magazine because the result of hard work is in every issue. When I want real-time info, or to read what fans are saying, I will go to the blogs. When I want honest, objective journalism, or to read original ideas and opinions, I open my THN. Keep trying for perfection, but keep up the great work.</p><p><b><i>Chuck Yorio, Pittsburgh</i></b></p><h2><b>SOUTHERN COMFORT</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-1081/9997735-1-eng-US/f0006-102.jpg" title="f0006-10" width="154" height="95"></div><p>As a long time hockey fan and loyal subscriber to THN, I cannot help but get annoyed from all of the bashing the Florida Panthers are receiving about their attendance (THN Inbox, Nov. 3). OK, hockey will never be king in the Southern states &ndash; football is already there and won&rsquo;t be dethroned any time soon &ndash; but there are some true hockey fans down here. My son and I always go to a handful of games every season because we love the sport. I sure hope the NHL does not pull the plug on the Panthers.</p><p><b><i>Steve Pyle, Green Acres, Fla.</i></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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FEAR FULFILLING

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MICHAEL TRAIKOS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-012410/9997850-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="247" height="304"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-021852/9997843-1-eng-US/f0008-022.jpg" title="f0008-02" width="601" height="915"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>WAY OF THE DODO</b> The NHL&rsquo;s evolution has left one-dimensional players like Paul Bissonnette out in the cold. <span class="photo-credit">(JUSTIN K. ALLER/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-031324/9997836-1-eng-US/f0008-032.jpg" title="f0008-03" width="1576" height="1001"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>EXPECTING MORE</b> The NHL has become a true four-line league. Grinders like Maxim Lapierre play big minutes. <span class="photo-credit">(DEBORA ROBINSON/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span></b><b>RIAN BURKE USED TO SAY</b> building a team was like conducting a symphony orchestra. In the front row is a first violin, who is &ldquo;usually elegant and commands a spotlight.&rdquo; But to play pretty music, you also need &ldquo;a guy built like me in the back row blowing on a tuba.&rdquo;</p><p>It was his way of drawing a distinction between the top-six scorers and bottom-six grunts whose job was to provide energy, toughness and intimidation. But the game has changed in the past several years. Onedimensional fighters are going the way of the wooden stick, as the top six has evolved into the top nine and in some cases even the top 12.</p><p>To stick with Burke&rsquo;s analogy, teams are no longer a symphony orchestra. They are more like a boy band: everyone &ndash; from the Justin Timberlake-wannabe in the front to that pudgy guy with frosted tips standing at the side &ndash; is expected to dance. &ldquo;Do I still look at top six and bottom six? Yeah,&rdquo; said Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland, &ldquo;but our bottom six has to play. They have to do one of two things: chip in some goals or do all of our penalty killing.</p><p>&ldquo;We need players who can eat up minutes.&rdquo;</p><p>It used to be that the third line was considered the grind line. It was where you would find players like Detroit&rsquo;s Kirk Maltby, Kris Draper and Joey Kocur or Anaheim&rsquo;s Samuel Pahlsson, Rob Niedermayer and Travis Moen &ndash; two-way players who could kill penalties and shut down the other teams&rsquo; top scorers. But the trickle-down effect of not having enforcers has changed each line&rsquo;s responsibilities.</p><p>Today&rsquo;s third line is expected to provide offense, not shut it down. Think of it as a scoring line with training wheels. In most cases, third-line players are younger players on entry-level contracts who have offensive potential but are still developing their skills and consistency. They might get 15 to 18 minutes of ice time, but they are sheltered from defensivezone starts and probably will not play on the penalty kill. &ldquo;The way the game is being played and officiated now, you can&rsquo;t play like that anymore,&rdquo; said Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper. &ldquo;The skilled, smaller, faster player has cut out the tough guy. The fighting line is gone, so everything has moved down. The checking line, which was a third line, now becomes a fourth line. And the third line is now a skilled line.&rdquo;</p><p>Ask St. Louis Blues coach Ken Hitchcock to describe his fourth line and what you get is a Swiss Army knife full of versatility. Most of all, he wants them to kill penalties so that the other lines can have more energy to possess the puck and score in 5-on-5 situations. But he also wants them to check, to chip in goals and, most of all, play meaningful minutes when the situation arises. &ldquo;For instance, we&rsquo;ve got (Steve) Ott and &lsquo;Lappy&rsquo; (Maxim Lapierre) on our fourth line,&rdquo; Hitchcock said. &ldquo;I trust that line against any team&rsquo;s line. You look at Chicago and it&rsquo;s the same. And it&rsquo;s the same in L.A. and with the New York Rangers. &lsquo;Lappy&rsquo; is supposed to be our fourth-line center and two nights ago he played 19 minutes. That&rsquo;s what&rsquo;s really changed in our game.&rdquo;</p><p>The change seemed to happen overnight, but really the Red Wings started this years ago when they make a conscious decision to rely on talent rather than toughness and tried to win with wave after wave of players who could score. &ldquo;The Detroit Red Wings might have been the model for a long, long time with their success as a four-line team,&rdquo; said Nashville Predators GM David Poile. &ldquo;And now the game is so fast that asking your forwards to play 20 minutes is very hard to do at the pace it&rsquo;s played at.&rdquo;</p><p>No team realized this more than the Toronto Maple Leafs did last season. For most of the year, coach Randy Carlyle deployed a three-line approach that meant ignoring the fourth line and asking the top line to kill penalties and play 20 or more minutes a night. It worked for a while. But by the end, the players ran out of gas, and the team dropped 12 of its final 14 games.</p><p>To start this season, the Leafs placed enforcers Colton Orr and Frazer McLaren on waivers and instead gave a roster spot to 5-foot-8 right winger Brandon Kozun. &ldquo;I mean, you see the teams that win it, they get contributions from all four lines,&rdquo; said Maple Leafs left winger Daniel Winnik, who was acquired in the off-season. &ldquo;You rarely see a team make it (deep) with just three lines. L.A. plays four lines. Their fourth line plays nine to 12 minutes a game. It just takes weight off your top guys.&rdquo;</p><p>In other words, that tuba player blowing away in the back row better learn how to dance if he wants to keep playing.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?

<div class="byline">By Charlie Teljeur</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0009-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-012135/9997881-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0009-01

THE INSTIGATOR

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-021501/9997912-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg" title="f0009-02" width="488" height="536"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(RICHARD T GAGNON/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>+PLUS</b></h2><h3><b>YOU DO KNOW JACK</b></h3><p>Boston U freshman <b><i>Jack Eichel</i></b> kicks off his college career with 13 points in seven games and earns conference rookie of the month honors.</p><h2><b>&ndash;MINUS</b></h2><h3><b>POISON IVY LEAGUE</b></h3><p>Cornell coach Mike Schafer is suspended one game for making profanity-laced comments about Quinnipiac bench boss Rand Pecknold.</p><h2><b>+PLUS</b></h2><h3><b>TALL GESTURE</b></h3><p>St. Louis Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo shaves his head in support of his five-year-old niece who is battling cancer.</p><h2><b>&ndash;MINUS</b></h2><h3><b>MCPOCALYPSE NOW</b></h3><p>Erie Otters phenom Connor McDavid breaks his hand during a fight, leaving little margin of error to get healthy for Canada&rsquo;s WJC squad.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0009-02

PLUS MINUS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; BENJAMIN WENDORF</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0010-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-012385/9997999-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">TROY BODIE & <b>ALEX GRANT</b> <span class="photo-credit">(2014 TORONTO STAR)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>A</span></b><b>S THE DEBATE OVER FIGHTING CONTINUES, IT CERTAINLY APPEARS THE</b> anti-fighting crowd has gained the upper hand. Personally, I was not afraid of throwing down when I played, and I think there will always be a place for a fight between two people who are flatout angry with each other.</p><p>But while the debate has often been framed around a series of defenses for fighting, including the concepts of providing a boost, deterring harm against a team, and the idea you&rsquo;ll lose fans if you phase fighting out of the game, all these issues can be addressed by looking into statistical evidence. There&rsquo;s a fourth point that hasn&rsquo;t really been discussed: the difference between employing a fighter who can&rsquo;t play the game particularly well and a regular fourth liner. Let&rsquo;s take a look at these arguments point-by-point.</p><h2><b>A &ldquo;BOOST&rdquo; FROM FIGHTING?</b></h2><p>Just from a base standpoint, we know both teams are involved in a fight, so a fight shouldn&rsquo;t really favor one team or the other. Taking a random sample of 50 fights from last season, the swing in possession before and after a fight ranges plus or minus three to five percent. While this seems significant, taking snippets of play from 50 random non-fight games reflects the same kind of in-game shift.</p><p>The evidence does suggest, on the other hand, that shot attempt rates increase after a fight, from approximately 0.67 per minute to 0.83 &ndash; but not because of a &ldquo;boost&rdquo;&hellip;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-021749/9997992-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="1061" height="1229"><figcaption class="caption-body">ANTHONY <b>PELUSO</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JONATHAN KOZUB/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>FIGHTING AS DETERRENCE</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-031132/9997985-1-eng-US/f0010-032.jpg" title="f0010-03" width="1025" height="147"></div><p>While hits as a normal course of play seem to go down slightly, the rate of &ldquo;dangerous&rdquo; penalties (roughing, elbowing, illegal contact to the head, cross checking, kneeing, checking from behind, boarding) nearly doubles. A potential factor could be referees calling the game closer to keep things under control, though it&rsquo;s worth noting that these particular types of infractions are pretty cut-and-dried when called. This boost in penalties can certainly result in the increase in shot attempts I mentioned above.</p><p>It&rsquo;s also worth looking at last year&rsquo;s teams to see if fighting &ndash; or having a fighting reputation &ndash; has a strong relationship to fewer dangerous penalties committed against your players:</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-04780/9997978-1-eng-US/f0010-042.jpg" title="f0010-04" width="1018" height="694"></div><p>Each team is represented by a dot. Engaging in more fights pushes the dot further to the right and receiving more dangerous infractions-against pushes the dot upward. Though the relationship isn&rsquo;t strong, the data definitely suggests that, if anything, there&rsquo;s a slightly positive relationship between fighting and your teammates being targeted by dangerous plays.</p><p>Setting the data aside, from a social standpoint the &ldquo;fighting as deterrence&rdquo; idea relies greatly on the notion the kind of players who would hurt others won&rsquo;t do so for fear of getting into a fight. There are two problems with that assumption: (a) as Sean Avery has taught us, you don&rsquo;t have to fight if someone challenges you, and b) a many young players grow up fighting, whether it&rsquo;s locker boxing or fighting drills set up by their coach.</p><h2><b>FIGHTING AS ENTERTAINMENT</b></h2><p>Another argument that has some legs: fighting is an entertaining aspect of the game, and by removing it you risk losing fans. Looking at it statistically, there are around 40 instances where teams increased or decreased their fighting rate by 50% or more from one season to the next, and the comparison of its impact on attendance is telling:</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-011980/9997971-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg" title="f0011-01" width="1017" height="671"></div><p>The middle bars exclude the teams that were a part of universal drop in fighting from 2003-04 to 2005-06, wherein the league also saw an attendance boost that was more likely due to fans eager for the NHL&rsquo;s return.</p><p>This argument is further refuted by a recent survey from Roy MacGregor at Toronto&rsquo;s <i>Globe & Mail</i>, in which two-thirds of Canadian respondents said they would support a ban on fighting at the professional level.</p><p>On all accounts, there simply isn&rsquo;t strong evidence here to support the idea more people will fill the seats for a team that fights.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-021443/9997964-1-eng-US/f0011-022.jpg" title="f0011-02" width="1024" height="634"><figcaption class="caption-body">DEREK MORRIS & <b>ANDREW LADD</b> <span class="photo-credit">(MARIANNE HELM/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-03967/9997957-1-eng-US/f0011-032.jpg" title="f0011-03" width="1033" height="634"><figcaption class="caption-body">CODY MCLEOD & <b>TANNER GLASS</b> <span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>EMPLOYING THE FIGHTER</b></h2><p>Finally, it&rsquo;s important to assess the trade-off for teams that ice an allfight, no-play skater in their forward lines. Comparing the 27 primary fourth-line fighters (20-plus games played) to the other 82 fourthline forwards from last season, the impact is cringe-worthy:</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-05560/9997950-1-eng-US/f0011-052.jpg" title="f0011-05" width="561" height="82"></div><p>Despite getting more opportunities to start their shifts in the offensive zone, all-fight players drastically tip the ice against their team, even worse than typical fourth-line forwards. Some of that negative impact is mitigated by the fact a fourth-line fighter will play about two fewer minutes per game than a regular fourth-liner, but given the dubiousness of the value of fighting, what&rsquo;s the point?</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-04720/9997943-1-eng-US/f0011-042.jpg" title="f0011-04" width="1024" height="1217"><figcaption class="caption-body">PATRICK MAROON & <b>KEVIN BIEKSA</b> <span class="photo-credit">(HARRY HOW/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0010-01

BUSTING HEADS, BUSTING MYTHS

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-031188/9998068-1-eng-US/f0012-032.jpg" title="f0012-03" width="492" height="464"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(VALERIE KEELER/VALBERG IMAGING)</span></figcaption></div><p>SERVES: 6 TO 8</p><p>PREP: 15 MIN</p><p>COOK: 45-50 MIN</p><p>STAND: 15 MIN</p><h2><b>INGREDIENTS</b></h2><p>1 tbsp (15 mL) butter<br>2 cups (500 mL) sliced mushrooms<br>1 cup (250 mL) chopped onion<br>1 cup (250 mL) chopped green pepper<br>1 can (28 oz/796 mL) whole tomatoes, with juice<br>1 package (5 g) beef bouillon powder<br>&frac12; cup (125 mL) sliced black olives, drained<br>2 tsp (10 mL) dried oregano<br>&frac12; tsp (2.5 mL) sea salt<br>14 tsp (1 mL) freshly ground black pepper<br>1 lb (500 g) ground beef, browned and drained (optional)<br>12 oz (375 g) spaghetti, cooked and drained<br>2 cups (500 mL) shredded cheddar cheese, divided<br>1 can (10 oz/284 mL) cream of mushroom soup<br>&frac14; cup (60 mL) water<br>&frac14; cup (60 mL) freshly grated<br>Parmesan cheese</p><h2><b>PREPARATION</b></h2><p><b>1.</b> In a large frying pan over high heat, melt butter. Saute mushrooms, onion and green pepper for five minutes or until tender. Stir in tomatoes, bouillon, olives, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir in ground beef. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 min.</p><p><b>2.</b> Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). Grease a 13- by 9-inch (33 by 23 cm) glass baking dish.</p><p><b>3.</b> Place half of the spaghetti in baking dish. Top with half of the sauce. Sprinkle with 1 cup (250 mL) cheddar cheese. Repeat layers.</p><p><b>4.</b> In a bowl, combine soup and water until smooth. Pour over top of casserole. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0012-03

SLAP-SHOT SPAGHETTI

<div class="byline">BY SAL BARRY OF PUCKJUNK.COM</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-012023/9998106-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="547" height="406"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-021411/9998099-1-eng-US/f0013-022.jpg" title="f0013-02" width="368" height="495"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HERE</b>&nbsp;<b>ARE THREE THINGS</b>the NHL Players&rsquo; Association doesn&rsquo;t allow on licensed trading cards: blood, tongues and fighting &ndash; especially fighting. It was different 40 years ago, when there were virtually no regulations for hockey card photos. Thus, Topps was able to get away with using a fisticuffs photograph on its 1973-74 card of St. Louis Blues left winger Phil Roberto, shown here slugging it out with New York Islanders goalie Billy Smith. As if that wasn&rsquo;t enough, the back of the card also states, &ldquo;Phil is a tough man in the corners, and even tougher in a fight.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0013-01

In The CARDS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; CRAIG HAGERMAN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-031017/9998137-1-eng-US/f0013-032.jpg" title="f0013-03" width="275" height="234"></div><p><i>(1927-present)</i></p><p class="dropcap"><b><span>N</span>OTRE DAME&rsquo;S</b> unofficial nicknames in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were the Rovers and the Ramblers, followed by the Terriers, an Irish dog breed. The current namesake&rsquo;s inception is murky. One story suggests it was coined during a football game versus Northwestern in 1899, when Northwestern fans chanted, &ldquo;Kill the Fighting Irish.&rdquo;</p><p>Another tale traces it to 1909, when a Notre Dame player was heard screaming to his teammates, &ldquo;What&rsquo;s the matter with you guys? You&rsquo;re all Irish and you&rsquo;re not fighting worth a lick.&rdquo; The most accepted story? The media, drawing from the school&rsquo;s tenacious style, began using the name. It was popularized by the <i>New York Daily News&rsquo;</i> Francis Wallace in the early &rsquo;20s and made official in 1927.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0013-03

Behind THE NAME

<div class="byline">&#x2013; CHRIS KAZARIAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0014-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-012304/9998182-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span></b><b>HE LEGEND OF THE UNITED</b> League&rsquo;s Danbury Trashers was cemented midway through the team&rsquo;s first season in a game against the Kalamazoo Wings.</p><p>That matchup was marred by a brawl that kicked off when Trashers left winger Brad Wingfield attempted to fight Kalamazoo&rsquo;s Josh Elzinga, who declined the invitation. As Wingfield skated away, Elzinga grabbed the back of his opponent&rsquo;s jersey and pulled him over his outstretched leg, breaking Wingfield&rsquo;s left tibia, fibula and ankle.</p><p>Word of the incident quickly spread through the blue-collar Connecticut city, which soon embraced the fighting mentality of the Trashers. And that&rsquo;s how Greg and Brenda St. Clair were introduced to hockey. It was enough to motivate them to attend the Trashers next game and eventually become addicted to a sport they previously knew little about.</p><p>Since birth, Brenda has suffered from spina bifida, an abnormality that causes an opening in the spinal column. So while Greg, 49, can walk, his wife is paralyzed, relying on a motorized wheelchair to move around. The constant sitting has led to excruciating backaches. Cortisone shots help her deal with frequent elbow pain. This summer, she took multiple trips to the ER for what she believes is a pinched nerve in her neck. None of this fazes the 47-year-old. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s all I&rsquo;ve known for my whole life,&rdquo; she said.</p><p>The one thing that has given Brenda joy in recent years is hockey. Initially, just as a spectator. &ldquo;She would go there (the Danbury Ice Arena) every single day and sit around in the stands for a total of probably eight hours just to watch an hour of practice,&rdquo; Greg said.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-021736/9998175-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg" title="f0014-02" width="523" height="551"><figcaption class="caption-body">BRENDA <b>ST-CLAIR</b></figcaption></div><p>Eventually, Donny Grover, a former Trashers defenseman, noticed Brenda in the stands and invited her onto the ice. She accepted and over the next two years would occasionally hit pucks around, even after the Trashers ignominiously folded in 2006. When Danbury became the home of the Eastern Professional League&rsquo;s Mad Hatters in 2008, the St. Clairs quickly welcomed them. And Brenda was given a new on-ice opportunity when Mad Hatters&rsquo; goalie Jeff Hill jokingly yelled at her to &ldquo;Be a man. Be a goalie,&rdquo; to which she said, &ldquo;All right. I will.&rdquo;</p><p>What followed was a process of trial and error, with the St. Clairs purchasing equipment and constantly refining it to fit Brenda&rsquo;s needs. Because adultsized chest protectors were too big for her, Brenda initially wore one meant for children. There was only one problem: it wasn&rsquo;t protecting her sides, leaving her exposed, and often, black and blue. So Greg stitched together multiple chest protectors &ndash; what he called a &ldquo;Frankenstein model&rdquo; &ndash; to ensure her safety.</p><p>Brenda has cracked three ribs &ndash; her first time on the ice she crashed into the boards &ndash; and years later nearly broke her middle finger trying to make a save. Still, the joy of playing the sport makes her feel, in her own words, &ldquo;on top of the world,&rdquo; far outweighing any pain she has endured. &ldquo;She forgets about being in the chair,&rdquo; Greg said.</p><p>Through hockey, Brenda has served as an inspiration for others, from children learning the sport to those like 25-year-old Eric Vogel, a fellow goalie drafted by the expansion Southwestern Pennsylvania Magic of the Federal League.</p><p>Vogel and the St. Clairs developed a friendship on Facebook thanks to their mutual interest in hockey. After he was drafted in June, Vogel invited the couple to Pennsylvania for training camp in August. Though the camp was postponed until September, the St. Clairs decided to head south, meeting Vogel at Ice Line in West Chester. &ldquo;Her neck was really bothering her that night, and she said, &lsquo;I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;ll be going to get on the ice,&rsquo;&rdquo; Vogel recalled.</p><p>Still, Vogel wanted something to remember the moment by, so he donned his goalie gear to take some photos with Brenda on the ice. After snapping a few, Brenda invited Vogel&rsquo;s friends to take some shots on her. Soon, a 3-on-3 scrimmage was underway with Brenda, for the first time in her life, facing shots in a mock game. &ldquo;She was loving it,&rdquo; Vogel said. &ldquo;She had always wanted to play in a game, and afterward she kept talking, &lsquo;Did you see this save and that save?&rsquo; It was really, really great. She had tears in her eyes and was thanking us so much.&rdquo;</p><p>For a few hours, hockey had given Brenda a sense of normalcy. As Vogel explained, &ldquo;No matter what type of day you had, when you go out on the ice&hellip;you forget everything that happened that day and you focus on that black little puck. That is it.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-031172/9998168-1-eng-US/f0014-032.jpg" title="f0014-03" width="523" height="574"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>NOW THAT&rsquo;S TRUE LOVE</b> Greg St. Clair&rsquo;s back is a tattooed tapestry of his favorite hockey player: his wife, Brenda. <span class="photo-credit">(ERIC VOGEL)</span></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0014-01

MORE THAN JUST A GAME

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0016-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-012068/9998248-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>TOP OF THE HEAP</b> San Jose&rsquo;s John Scott, No. 20, towers above his tough-guy competition literally and figuratively. <span class="photo-credit">(KATHERINE FREY/THE WASHINGTON POST)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-021575/9998241-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="230" height="322"></div><h2><b>SUPER HEAVYWEIGHT (235+)</b></h2><h3><b>John SCOTT</b></h3><p class="dropcap"><span>W</span>hile Brian McGrattan is more feared, the Flames tough guy isn&rsquo;t really fighting this season, so his reign is on a bit of a hiatus. Of course, maybe a late November tilt with Scott&rsquo;s Sharks will change that. Scott is a survivor of the 2014 Enforcer Roster Massacre and, just to rub salt in the wounds of the anti-fighting crowd, the 6-foot-8, 260-pound behemoth even scored a goal in his first game of the season&hellip;used his stick on the play and everything.</p><p><b>2. BRIAN MCGRATTAN, CGY</b></p><p><b>3. ZDENO CHARA, BOS</b></p><p><b>4. MILAN LUCIC, BOS</b></p><p><b>5. ANTHONY PELUSO, WPG</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-031141/9998234-1-eng-US/f0016-032.jpg" title="f0016-03" width="230" height="321"></div><h2><b>HEAVYWEIGHT (225+)</b></h2><h3><b>Tom SESTITO</b></h3><p>A classic tough guy who was also the most prolific scrapper of 2013-14, Sestito would throw down anywhere at any time &ndash; particularly on the road. While many of his favorite dance partners are now struggling to find work in the NHL, Sestito has hung on with the Canucks, though just barely. A frequent healthy scratch early on, the big man was also felled by a leg injury in early November. But he did record an assist in his season debut, against Edmonton.</p><p><b>2. RYANE CLOWE, NJ</b></p><p><b>3. JARRED TINORDI, MTL</b></p><p><b>4. CHRIS STEWART, BUF</b></p><p><b>5. PATRICK MAROON, ANA</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-04843/9998227-1-eng-US/f0016-042.jpg" title="f0016-04" width="230" height="322"></div><h2><b>MIDDLEWEIGHT</b>&nbsp;<b>(211+)</b></h2><h3><b>Ryan REAVES</b></h3><p>The son of a football player, Reaves has an enormous upper body more fitting for a linebacker than the running back position his dad played. The burly right winger doesn&rsquo;t play much for the Blues on a nightly basis, but he makes his impact felt when he&rsquo;s out there: Reaves leads the team in hits by a wide margin despite getting the least amount of ice time. And when it comes to fighting, the Winnipeg native has some serious stopping power with his punches.</p><p><b>2. JARED BOLL, CLB</b></p><p><b>3. TIM JACKMAN, ANA</b></p><p><b>4. KYLE CLIFFORD, LA</b></p><p><b>5. ERIK GUDBRANSON, FLA</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-05601/9998220-1-eng-US/f0016-052.jpg" title="f0016-05" width="230" height="322"></div><h2><b>CRUISERWEIGHT (200+)</b></h2><h3><b>Tom WILSON</b></h3><p>Wilson, who made a big splash as a teenager last season, had his sophomore campaign delayed slightly by an off-season injury. But he got back on the horse pretty quickly once he was healthy. Frighteningly strong for his age (20), Wilson is very game when it comes to dropping the gloves and brings a lot of punching power to the table. And on a skilled Washington Capitals team, the Toronto native has proven to be an offensive threat, too.</p><p><b>2. CODY MCLEOD, COL</b></p><p><b>3. MIKE BROWN, SJ</b></p><p><b>4. B.J. CROMBEEN, ARI</b></p><p><b>5. DANIEL CARCILLO, CHI</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-06492/9998213-1-eng-US/f0016-062.jpg" title="f0016-06" width="230" height="321"></div><h2><b>LIGHTWEIGHT (199-)</b></h2><h3><b>Brandon PRUST</b></h3><p>Since 2012, Prust has acted as a policeman for the Habs, often taking on the NHL&rsquo;s toughest guys and punching well above his weight due to a lack of overall toughness in Montreal (the George Parros experiment didn&rsquo;t work). It&rsquo;s amazing to think the left winger is only six-foot, 195 pounds, but he gets the job done while also killing penalties. Last year&rsquo;s slate of tilts included goons Cam Janssen, Zenon Konopka and Shawn Thornton.</p><p><b>2. KEVIN BIEKSA, VAN</b></p><p><b>3. JORDIN TOOTOO, NJ</b></p><p><b>4. WAYNE SIMMONDS, PHI</b></p><p><b>5. ZAC RINALDO, PHI</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0016-01

THEY’RE WORTH THE WEIGHT

<div class="byline">BY MATT COSMAN, CRAIG HAGERMAN & NAMISH MODI</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0018-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-011945/9998307-1-eng-US/f0018-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body">CURTIS MCKENZIE & <b>KYLE CLIFFORD</b> <span class="photo-credit">(STEPHEN DUNN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>THE FALL AND RISE THEN FALL OF FIGHTING</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><b><span>F</span>ighting has dipped this</b> season and last. Will it make a comeback the way it did following the two years after the lost season? Even if there is an uptick, it&rsquo;s unlikely we&rsquo;ll ever see the pugilistic proportions of the mid-90s. Here are the fights per game, according to <a href="http://hockeyfights.com">hockeyfights.com</a>, over the past 20 NHL seasons, in the regular and post-season.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-021434/9998300-1-eng-US/f0018-022.jpg" title="f0018-02" width="724" height="1018"></div><p>AVERAGE REGULAR SEASON FIGHTS PER GAME: <b>0.57</b></p><p>AVERAGE POST-SEASON FIGHTS PER GAME: <b>0.2818</b></p><h2><b><i>By The</i></b>&nbsp;<b>NUMBERS</b></h2><p>Active NHLers who are the career points leaders for their current teams after <b>Alex Ovechkin</b> scored his 826th point to pass Peter Bondra. The others are Minnesota&rsquo;s Mikko Koivu, New Jersey&rsquo;s Patrik Elias, San Jose&rsquo;s Patrick Marleau and Vancouver&rsquo;s Henrik Sedin.</p><p><b>5</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-031017/9998293-1-eng-US/f0018-032.jpg" title="f0018-03" width="608" height="720"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PATRICK MCDERMOTT/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>1957</b>&nbsp;Year of uniform that inspired the Blackhawks 2015 Winter Classic jersey. Chicago and Washington faceoff at Nationals Park Jan. 1.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-04684/9998286-1-eng-US/f0018-042.jpg" title="f0018-04" width="349" height="536"><figcaption class="caption-body">BRANDON <b>SAAD</b> <span class="photo-credit">(CHASE AGNELLO-DEAN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>18</b> Players, covering 15 jersey numbers, honored by the Montreal Canadiens after <b>Guy Lapointe&rsquo;s</b> No. 5 was raised to the rafters. Lapointe, a 1993 Hall of Fame inductee, helped the Canadiens to six Stanley Cup championships in the 1970s.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0018-05471/9998279-1-eng-US/f0018-052.jpg" title="f0018-05" width="749" height="594"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(FRANCOIS LACASSE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>5 Straight road losses to start the season by the Los Angeles Kings, the first defending Stanley Cup champion to do so since the Toronto Arenas in 1918-19.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0018-01

Ice CHIPS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; DON WEEKES</div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span>HE LONGEST SURVIVING OFFICIAL NHL RECORD</b> among goalies dates to Hall of Famer Alex Connell, who choreographed nearly eight hours of perfect play against marksmen such as Howie Morenz and Frank Boucher in January and February 1928. However, 87 years later, his incredible streak is in need of a recalculation.</p><p>There have been worthy attempts to scale Connell&rsquo;s monster six consecutive shutouts, most notably the five straight by modern-day record-holder Brian Boucher. However, Boucher only clocked 332:01 in 2003&ndash;04, nothing when compared to Connell&rsquo;s pipe play that was abetted by the game&rsquo;s early rules.</p><p>Connell&rsquo;s record was set in the NHL&rsquo;s original Dead Puck Era. Despite rule changes in 1927-28 to combat low goal production &ndash; forward passing was introduced in the defending and neutral zones, and goalie pads were trimmed from 12 to 10 inches &ndash; there was little uptick in offense and Connell netted 15 shutouts in Ottawa&rsquo;s 44 games.</p><p>Connell&rsquo;s record was built on two regulation wins, an overtime win and three scoreless ties, each requiring a 10-minute extra period. It&rsquo;s that OT win, a 1&ndash;0 Senators victory against the Montreal Maroons on Feb. 2, that is behind the record&rsquo;s time change. By how much? Let&rsquo;s just say Connell is in no danger of losing his title.</p><p>All told, the official NHL record needs to be shaved by 40 seconds.</p><p>Connell has been dealt several flawed times. According to the Hall of Fame, his mark wasn&rsquo;t formally recognized until it first surfaced in 1949-50, when listed as 446:09. It was later rejigged to 460:09 and again to 460:49. Finally, in 1976-77, 461:29 became the official figure. So what&rsquo;s wrong with 461:29? Connell was incorrectly credited with 70 minutes of play on Feb. 2. In fact, the Senators&rsquo; goalie only played 9:20 before teammate Hec Kilrea scored.</p><p>The assumption the Senators&rsquo; puckstopper played a full 10 minutes of overtime goes against game rules of the day, which enforced a sudden-death provision. It was only in the following season, 1928&ndash;29, that the league dropped this model of tiebreaking and introduced a full 10-minute overtime period without sudden death.</p><p>Finding something less than perfect in the league&rsquo;s record book is a little like, well, taking one for the team. It&rsquo;s not something you want to happen, but it&rsquo;s important, even an obligation, to make it right.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-011698/9998345-1-eng-US/f0019-012.jpg" title="f0019-01" width="724" height="1294"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(HHOF IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>ALEX</b>&nbsp;<b>CONNELL&rsquo;S 1927&ndash;28 STREAK STATS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-021265/9998338-1-eng-US/f0019-022.jpg" title="f0019-02" width="724" height="463"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0019-01

A Close Shave To The Longest Shutout Streak

<p class="dropcap"><b><span>S</span>hawn Thornton</b> and <b>Eric Boulton</b> make up the most frequent active combatants. From 2010 to 2012, the duo threw down eight times, with Thornton coming out on top with a 4-1-3 record, according to <a href="http://hockeyfights.com">hockeyfights.com</a>.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-03861/9998390-1-eng-US/f0019-032.jpg" title="f0019-03" width="723" height="611"></div><p><i>*Min. 1 game played this season</i></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-04657/9998383-1-eng-US/f0019-042.jpg" title="f0019-04" width="852" height="803"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(STEVE BABINEAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0019-05492/9998376-1-eng-US/f0019-052.jpg" title="f0019-05" width="681" height="517"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(DAMIAN STROHMEYER/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>ALL-TIME NHL CAREER FIGHT LEADERS</b></h2><p><b>1. Tie Domi 338</b></p><p><b>2.</b> Dave &lsquo;Tiger&rsquo; Williams <b>329</b></p><p><b>3.</b> Chris Nilan <b>315</b></p><p><b>4.</b> Bob Probert <b>302</b></p><p><b>5.</b> Craig Berube <b>299</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0019-03

SHAWN VS. ERIC

f0022-01

HISTORY OF VIOLENCE

<p class="dropcap"><span>W</span>ith the help of <a href="http://hockeyfights.com">hockeyfights.com</a>, HT 5-11 WT 185 we&rsquo;ve chronicled the leader in fights each season from 1957-58 to present day, with asterisks signifying years in which there was a tie for first place. The timeline tells us the 1980s and 1990s were the busiest times for top goons</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-02943/9998560-1-eng-US/f0025-022.jpg" title="f0025-02" width="840" height="230"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-03656/9998553-1-eng-US/f0025-032.jpg" title="f0025-03" width="2503" height="230"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-04454/9998546-1-eng-US/f0025-042.jpg" title="f0025-04" width="2503" height="230"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0025-02

IT’S EVOLUTION, BABY

f0030-01

FIGHTING IN THE NHL

<div class="byline">BY KEN CAMPBELL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-011418/9998678-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg" title="f0036-01" width="397" height="532"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>E</span></b>ARLIER THIS SEASON, A WEEK BEFORE HIS 33rd birthday, Bobby Robins played his first, and possibly only, three NHL games. He wore a Boston Bruins sweater and played for a total of 22 minutes and 45 seconds, took kneeing and charging penalties and got into two fights. That&rsquo;s a grand total of three games, 22 minutes and 45 seconds, two minors and two fighting majors more than the vast number of players who chase the dream of playing in the NHL.</p><p>It was a dream that was a long time coming, one that came into focus on a summer afternoon in 2010 as Robins looked out over Lake Michigan from a rooftop patio in the tiny town of Algoma, Wis. He had just been given a new lease on life, but his hockey career was teetering on the brink of death. It was then, on that patio, after making list after list of his options, that Robins decided he was going to fight his way to the NHL.</p><p>The decision to try to make a living as an enforcer is often pragmatic and deliberate, as it was with Robins. Sometimes it&rsquo;s a business decision, the way it was for former NHL enforcer George Parros. Other times, it&rsquo;s made, or made for you, in a split second, the way it was with Marc Laforge. Some, like Tie Domi and Tiger Williams, are players with decent skills who actually enjoy fighting, but they&rsquo;re a rare breed. Most fighters, suddenly or over the course of time, come to realize their fists are going to be the only things that make their marks on the game.</p><p>Take Robins, for example, and let&rsquo;s go back to that rooftop patio in Wisconsin. It was a summer of indecision and insecurity for him. The previous season, he had signed with a team in Denmark, then found himself in Austria after the team went bankrupt. But it was off the ice where Robins faced his most daunting challenge. For the previous 11 years, he had been addicted to chewing tobacco, not thinking much about the ramifications of sticking the stuff in the gullies of his mouth until he was brushing his teeth one morning and noticed a white spot at the back of his mouth. He waited a week to find out it was a benign growth that was the result of an undetected wisdom tooth. &ldquo;All I could think of was, &lsquo;I could lose my face, I could die,&rsquo;&rdquo; Robins said. &ldquo;Fighting is scary, but not as scary as that.&rdquo;</p><p>It was then that Robins, at 28, decided to evaluate his life and his goals. One day when his wife was away at work as an x-ray technologist, he made a list of all his options, one of which was to play in the NHL. Under that option, he listed the things he would have to do to achieve it. To play the fearless and reckless style he felt would make him an effective player, he knew he&rsquo;d have to start fighting and prepare to answer for his big hits. &ldquo;It was a very conscious decision,&rdquo; Robins said. &ldquo;You experience fight or flight, and the first four years of my career I chose that flight option. When I came back to North America, I decided I was going to make a run for the NHL, and I knew that for me to do that, I was going to have to choose the fight option. I knew I was going to have to go into the belly of the beast and see what happened.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0037-011266/9998671-1-eng-US/f0037-012.jpg" title="f0037-01" width="2597" height="3543"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>LATE BLOOMER</b> Boooy Rooms acmevaa his dream, making his NHL debut at 32 years old. <span class="photo-credit">(BRIAN BABINEAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>And he did it with gusto. Since that time, Robins has been in more than 100 fights, working his way up from the Bakersfield Condors of the ECHL to the American League and finally, this season, earning a three-game audition with the Bruins. He was on the roster for a fourth game, but didn&rsquo;t dress. He fought Luke Schenn of the Philadelphia Flyers and Michael Latta of the Washington Capitals and was declared the victor in each one. The way Robins saw it, the only way to get better as a fighter was to do it without picking his spots and measure his progress with each fight. If it all sounds very rational, it&rsquo;s because that&rsquo;s exactly what it was. Robins, like many other fighters, epitomizes the dichotomy between on-ice behavior and off-ice sensibilities. Enforcers are often the gentlest souls off the ice, and many of them got their jobs because they were intelligent enough to realize their limitations as players.</p><p>Robins has an English degree from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell where he said he &ldquo;balanced Poetry 101 with smashing opponents through the glass.&rdquo; Robins does a lot of creative writing on his own blog (<a href="http://www.bobbyrobins.com">www.bobbyrobins.com</a>). In an almost 10,000-word dispatch titled &ldquo;Metamorphosis,&rdquo; Robins recounted his early days of withdrawal when he decided to quit chewing tobacco cold turkey that summer: &ldquo;I can only describe the feeling as this: I felt like I was going to explode and all my insides would splatter all over the room, but the explosion would not be a violent or sudden one, but a slow motion explosion, a bulging release of ripping sadness in a high-pitched hiss, like some coiled snake lurking behind the drywall, with a deep scarlet venom sack tucked away in the back of his mouth, back behind his razor fang, and it&rsquo;s filled with the most potent nicotine extract the world has ever known, cooked in antiquity by some satanic alchemist in a time forgotten, melted down from an ancient monolith that once mapped the stars and solstices.&rdquo;</p><p>Not every decision to become an enforcer is quite that dramatic. When Marc Laforge left his home in Sudbury, Ont., to play for the Kingston Canadians at the age of 16, he was coming off a midget season in which he had just 42 penalty minutes. His father hated fighting and made his feelings on the subject known to anyone who asked. His bantam coach recounted how Laforge&rsquo;s Sudbury team was playing the Toronto Young Nats in the Ontario championship, and the Young Nats were running roughshod over the Sudbury team. The coach had to convince Laforge to go out and run a couple of opponents.</p><p>By the time he retired 17 years later, Laforge was seven minutes short of 4,000 penalty minutes on 17 teams in six leagues, including 14 NHL games during which he fought four times and accumulated 64 PIM. In 1987, he went from fight to fight in a bench-clearing brawl while playing for the Sudbury Wolves, punching opponents from behind. It earned him a lifetime suspension from the Ontario League and cemented his reputation as one of the game&rsquo;s biggest goons.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-011376/9998664-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg" title="f0038-01" width="1061" height="1395"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BRAINS AND BRAWN</b> George Parros used his Ivy League intellect to decide to be a fighter. <span class="photo-credit">(NOAH GRAHAM/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;IT WAS EASY FOR ME TO FIGHT. IT WAS ALWAYS MORE OF A BUSINESS DECISION FOR ME<br>&ndash; George Parros</blockquote><p>It all started in Kingston, under Canadians coach Rick Cornacchia. Laforge had his first fight against Barry Burkholder and discovered the rush of adrenaline that accompanies a cheering crowd after a fight. That moment, along with strong messaging about his role, set the player on a path from which he could not deviate. Laforge is now a 46-year-old fireman in Sudbury. He still devotes his life to fighting, but there is a higher sense of purpose to his confrontations now. &ldquo;If I had known how things were going to turn out, I would have joined the fire department when I was 25,&rdquo; Laforge said. &ldquo;Being a fire fighter is much more fun, much more fun. You think fighting is fun for two or three years, then you don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s much fun anymore.&rdquo;</p><p>Once he fought that first time in Kingston, Laforge said he was pigeonholed as an enforcer. He was 6-foot-3, 215 pounds and, wanting to secure his place on the team, was more than willing to do what it took to play regularly. Laforge figured he would establish himself as a fighter to earn his spot in the lineup, then use that opportunity to prove that he could be more than that. But it didn&rsquo;t work out that way. He kept fighting, continued to get suspended, and before he knew it he was a second-round pick of the Hartford Whalers for one reason and one reason only. Of his four NHL fights, one was against Marty McSorley. But it was another fight, one that was decidedly in favor of Darin Kimble, where Laforge&rsquo;s mindset changed. &ldquo;It was then that I realized, &lsquo;I&rsquo;m not the toughest guy in the world,&rsquo;&rdquo; Laforge said. &ldquo;And after that I played scared. I still had to fight, but I was nervous every single time. I didn&rsquo;t get a decent night&rsquo;s sleep for almost 20 years.&rdquo;</p><p>George Parros was also pigeonholed as an enforcer early in his career, something that didn&rsquo;t bother him because that was how he&rsquo;d mapped out his career after being drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in 1999. That&rsquo;s the same season he started at Princeton, an Ivy League school that also produced Kevin Westgarth. The summer after he was drafted, Parros went to a Kings development camp, and it was there he decided, like Robins, he was going to have to fight to play his style.</p><p>Parros, who studied economics, simply made a business decision. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if it was as cut-and-dry for other guys, but for me it was a very deliberate decision,&rdquo; Parros said. &ldquo;I was big and tall and I liked to play physical, and the college game was pretty well suited for me because I could run around like a cannonball. At the Kings camps, I realized that if I was going to play that way, people were going to take offense to it, and I didn&rsquo;t want to have to back down.&rdquo;</p><p>It turned out to be an educated decision. Parros fought his way to a seven-year NHL career in which he made $5.6 million, became the first Princeton University alum to have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup and earned cult status with his willingness to fight and his trademark mustache. Parros tried to learn on the fly, with his first-ever fight coming in a development camp against an Anaheim Ducks prospect named George Davis. That fight was followed with 218 fights as a pro (169 in the NHL and another 49 in the minors).</p><p>It wasn&rsquo;t the career path Parros envisioned. Fighting wasn&rsquo;t a means to an end as much as it was another skill Parros felt he needed to develop to play in the NHL. But it wasn&rsquo;t long before Parros was labelled an enforcer and the cycle began. It paid him a lot of money, gave him a lot of fame and, unlike a lot of other enforcers who are tormented by what they have to do to play in the NHL, it never seemed to bother him. &ldquo;I have no regrets,&rdquo; Parros said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m happy with my career and what I accomplished. People expect certain things and you kind of just become that player. If I had gotten my brains knocked in early it might have been different. It was easy for me to do it. It was always more of a business-type decision for me.&rdquo;</p><p>Boby Fugere works by day as a garage door installer for Mauricie Trans-Portes in Shawinigan, Que., and by night as a frequent fighter for le Blizzard Cloutier Nord-Sud in the North American League in Quebec. He&rsquo;s 24, stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 290 pounds, though he used to be 330. That was a couple years ago when he realized he wanted to get back into a serious level of hockey after playing Jr. A in Quebec and a couple stints in the Quebec League. He was playing garage league hockey and installing garage doors, and he wanted something more. The prospect of making an extra $10,000 a year to play hockey helped, too.</p><p>A guy that big is not going to have the kind of foot speed to play at any decent level of pro hockey, but he could play in the NAHL, which is known as the closest thing to <i>Slap Shot</i> since the Johnstown Chiefs. So he hit the gym and began training with a mixed martial arts instructor and still takes boxing lessons twice a week. And he&rsquo;s put them to good use. In his first seven games this season, Fugere racked up nine fighting majors and failed to register a fight in only one game. He would have more fights, but he was suspended two games. Clearly, Fugere didn&rsquo;t get the memo that fighting is on the decline. &ldquo;In this league, we need fights,&rdquo; Fugere said, whose statistic line in the NAHL reads 39 games, 0-0-0 and 216 PIM. &ldquo;A lot of fights and brawls. We need fights because if we don&rsquo;t people will leave the arena and will never come back.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-011261/9998657-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg" title="f0039-01" width="1061" height="1074"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MOONLIGHT MAYHEM Big Boby Fugere instate garage doors by day and I punches faces by night</b> <span class="photo-credit">(TERRY CHARLAND/FLAGEOL PHOTO)</span></figcaption></div><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;IF WE DON&rsquo;T FIGHT, PEOPLE WILL LEAVE THE ARENA AND WILL NEVER COME BACK<br>&ndash; Boby Fugere</blockquote><p>Four fighters, four distinct approaches to their craft. Unlike Robins, Laforge now looks back on his career and doesn&rsquo;t believe it was worth the mayhem. Robins has not a single regret about the way he made it to the NHL. For him, becoming an enforcer was as much a life decision as a hockey one. Goalies and fighters often mature later than other players, and Robins never forgot that. One of his coaches in the minors was Steve Martinson, a tough guy who made his NHL debut at the age of 30. With his successful attempt to quit chewing tobacco serving as the catalyst, Robins then faced his fears by confronting them head-on. And as he fought more, it got easier every time.</p><p>Prior to last season, he signed a two-way deal with the Bruins that pays him $100,000 in the minors and $600,000 in the NHL. He spent seven wonderful days in the show, during which time he made more than $22,000. That might be the extent of his career earnings in the NHL, but it&rsquo;s always been about more than the money. &ldquo;I just kept getting closer and closer to my goal,&rdquo; Robins said. &ldquo;All of a sudden, I had an AHL deal, then I signed an NHL deal and it just kept building. To see it all come together was one of the most profound things I&rsquo;ve ever experienced. I&rsquo;ve proven it to myself, and I hope to play many more (NHL) games. But whatever happens, I&rsquo;ve proven to myself that I can accomplish that.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0036-01

FIGHTING FOR A JOB

<div class="byline">BY BOB MCKENZIE</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-01971/9998737-1-eng-US/f0040-012.jpg" title="f0040-01" width="397" height="532"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0040-02643/9998730-1-eng-US/f0040-022.jpg" title="f0040-02" width="903" height="1224"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span></b>RANDON PRUSTSMILESEASILYAND OFTEN, but his chipper demeanour can sometimes belie the brutal physical punishment that&rsquo;s been inflicted on his body over a dozen seasons of high-level hockey. It&rsquo;s not unique to him; every hockey player goes through to it to varying degrees, but the United Brotherhood of NHL Fighters and Tough Guys must withstand a level of searing pain that is almost obscene, difficult for an average man to even comprehend.</p><p>It&rsquo;s often said that professional athletes must understand the difference between being &ldquo;hurt&rdquo; and &ldquo;injured.&rdquo; You can play hurt, but not injured. For tough guys, though, in a world where a spot in the lineup isn&rsquo;t as certain as it is for the goal-scoring winger or playmaking center, the line between hurt and injured is more easily blurred, to the point where it&rsquo;s often indistinguishable. It&rsquo;s unimaginable pain, not to mention unspoken painkilling remedies, often game after game for the better part of a season. &ldquo;It is a worry,&rdquo; Prust conceded. &ldquo;Some days, you feel like you&rsquo;re 100 years old. You think about 20 years from now and how you&rsquo;re going to feel. You want to be able to live, to play golf when you retire. I&rsquo;m trying to take care of my body differently now. I train and stretch differently. I&rsquo;d like to play 15 years in the NHL.&rdquo;</p><p>But fighters, and hitters, have no choice but to sacrifice themselves. It&rsquo;s in their job description; it&rsquo;s in their DNA.</p><p>Prust underwent hip surgery after his second year of junior hockey. He had a hairline fracture of his jaw in his third year with the Knights. In his first real NHL season, in December 2008, the Flames winger paid the price for renewing acquaintances with old Windsor Spitfire OHL rival Cam Janssen of the St. Louis Blues. The two fought early in the game in St. Louis &ndash; that was the norm &ndash; but Janssen later lowered the boom with a violent hit to the head that smashed Prust&rsquo;s jaw, badly fracturing it. His recounting of the incident is not for the faint of heart. &ldquo;We were in St. Louis. The doctor gave me three Vicodin to get me through the night,&rdquo; Prust said. &ldquo;The team was going on to another game somewhere else, but I had to get back to Calgary the next day, on a commercial flight with a connection &ndash; I think it was from St. Louis to Denver to Calgary. I can honestly say it was one of the worst days of my life.&rdquo;</p><p>Prust said he couldn&rsquo;t swallow, could barely breathe. The pain was excruciating, and he had no painkillers. He needed to have his jaw wired shut, but that wouldn&rsquo;t happen until he got back home to the doctors in Calgary. &ldquo;I literally had to hold my face together, like this,&rdquo; Prust said, clamping one hand on one side on the top of his head and the other hand on the opposite side, along his jawline. &ldquo;My face was so swollen, it was out to here &hellip; people in the airport were staring at me. I had to change planes. It was a long day. I was in so much pain.&rdquo;</p><p>Welcome to the NHL, kid.</p><p>He missed three months because of that injury, and was back in the lineup for about three weeks when Minnesota&rsquo;s six-foot-seven, 258-pound Derek Boogaard hit him with a forearm to the head. Prust was concussed, badly. Boogaard got a five-game suspension. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t get knocked (unconscious) but I didn&rsquo;t know where I was for an hour,&rdquo; Prust said. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t know where my stall was. I went into the change room; they asked me, &lsquo;What day is it? Don&rsquo;t know. Who did we play? Don&rsquo;t know. What was the score? No clue.&rsquo; It all came back to me about an hour later.&rdquo;</p><p>Before he was healthy enough to return to the Flames&rsquo; lineup, Prust was traded to Phoenix.</p><p>Good luck, kid.</p><p>In his first full year with the Rangers, in November 2010, Prust tore up his shoulder in a fight with Pittsburgh&rsquo;s Mike Rupp. Prust never missed a game that season &ndash; it was the year he had his NHL career-best 13 goals and 29 points &ndash; but he lost count of how many pain-numbing shots he took to make it through all 82 games. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d wake up in the morning and not be able to move my arm or shoulders and think there was no way I could play that night,&rdquo; Prust said. &ldquo;But by game time, I&rsquo;d be lining up against (Montreal&rsquo;s) Travis Moen on the opening faceoff and saying, &lsquo;Hey Mo, you wanna go?&rsquo; You find a way, you have to find a way.&rdquo;</p><p>When the season ended, he had shoulder surgery.</p><p>The next season, his last in New York, Prust fought Ottawa&rsquo;s Zenon Konopka in mid-January. He snapped a tendon in his left ring finger.</p><p>The doctor told him he could have it surgically repaired immediately, regaining full use of the finger, but would miss three months &ndash; the rest of the regular season &ndash; or he could wait until the off-season to have the tendon surgically removed. &ldquo;They told me if I waited, and did it in the summer, I would never be able to bend (the top half of his ring finger) again,&rdquo; Prust said. &ldquo;I think it was (Ranger captain) Ryan Callahan who said to me, &lsquo;Hey Prusty, it&rsquo;s just a finger. You don&rsquo;t need to ever bend it again.&rsquo; The guys were chirping me because they thought I should get it fixed (in-season), but it was a contract year. I wasn&rsquo;t missing three months in a contract year.&rdquo;</p><p>Prust played with the pain, and the painkillers. Again. His whole left hand was a mess by the playoffs. &ldquo;There was so much swelling and scar tissue,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I fought (Ottawa&rsquo;s) Chris Neil in our playoff series and I was in agony. I couldn&rsquo;t even grab onto his jersey; I just tried to hang on for dear life. He won that fight; I did all right. I had to do it. It helped change the series around for us.&rdquo;</p><p>Prust got the off-season surgery to remove the tendon. He can no longer bend his ring finger on his left hand, but he was able to sign his four-year, $10 million contract with Montreal that summer just fine.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-01848/9998723-1-eng-US/f0041-012.jpg" title="f0041-01" width="1632" height="1028"><figcaption class="caption-body">Montreal Canadians 2014 <span class="photo-credit">(RICHARD WOLOWICZ/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-02569/9998716-1-eng-US/f0041-022.jpg" title="f0041-02" width="775" height="826"><figcaption class="caption-body">Calgary Flames 2006 <span class="photo-credit">(TIM SMITH/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0041-03465/9998709-1-eng-US/f0041-032.jpg" title="f0041-03" width="775" height="826"><figcaption class="caption-body">New York Rangers <span class="photo-credit">(GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;I LITERALLY HAD TO HOLD MY FACE TOGETHER&hellip; PEOPLE IN THE AIRPORT WERE STARING AT ME<br>&ndash; Brandon Prust</blockquote><p>In his first two seasons with the Habs, he had a pair of shoulder separations &ndash; one left, one right, one each season. He had an oblique strain, which he came back from, only to aggravate it and miss the last month of 2013&ndash;14. He was out of the lineup for 40 of his first 130 regular-season games in Montreal. &ldquo;The last couple of years in Montreal have been great years,&rdquo; Prust said on the eve of the 2014 playoffs. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve had great fun, the most fun I&rsquo;ve had in (pro) hockey. I can&rsquo;t imagine how much more fun it would be if I didn&rsquo;t have the injuries.&rdquo;</p><p><i>Excerpt from Hockey Confidental: Inside Stories from People Inside the Game by Bob McKenzie &copy;2014. Published by HarperCollins Canada. All rights reserved.</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0040-01

WARRIOR ELITE

<div class="byline">BY MATT LARKIN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-02598/9998817-1-eng-US/f0042-022.jpg" title="f0042-02" width="397" height="532"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0042-01902/9998810-1-eng-US/f0042-012.jpg" title="f0042-01" width="3429" height="2066"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(DEBORA ROBINSON/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>O</span>NE THING EVERYONE CAN</b>&nbsp;agree about in the fighting debate: fisticuffs aren&rsquo;t gone yet. Hockey is certainly trending that way, but fights still happen for now. So when they do, which team is most heavily armed to win a battle royale on a nightly basis? We set out to crown the best overall tough-guy team in the NHL.</p><p>Our data source was <a href="http://hockeyfights.com">hockeyfights.com</a>, which has documented decades of information. Players earn wins, losses and draws based on fan votes. With the help of our dedicated interns, Craig Hagerman and Namish Modi, we compiled the career record of every player who&rsquo;s played a game this season. Fights that didn&rsquo;t have any votes were deemed no contest, as the sample size was large enough for us to throw them out. We included regular season scraps but also pre-season and post-season ones, because fights are fights, no matter when they happen. Even if you&rsquo;re a star player shaking off summer rust, you don&rsquo;t ease up in the pre-season when you&rsquo;re protecting your own face.</p><p>We then summed the total records of the players on each active NHL roster to produce an aggregate record, which was converted to a points percentage. We awarded two points for a win and one point for a draw. At this stage in the calculations, we realized our overall team rankings skewed too heavily toward winning fights and not enough toward experience. Which enforcer would you fear more: a guy with two fights and two wins or a guy with 100 wins and 60 losses? So we multiplied our team points percentages by their players&rsquo; total number of fights to create a final score that combined fight proficiency with fight frequency.</p><p>We believe the rankings on the pages to follow accurately reflect the NHL&rsquo;s glove-dropping hierarchy. The likes of San Jose and Boston are loaded with pugilists and finished high, whereas last-place Detroit throws punches as often as Gandhi did.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-01782/9998803-1-eng-US/f0044-012.jpg" title="f0044-01" width="333" height="249"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>SHARK WEAK</b> Is using tough guys Dike Andrew Desjardins hurting S J.&rsquo;s poeeession game? <span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>A BIGGER BITE AT A HIGH COST</b></h2><p><i>The Sharks are THN&rsquo;s No. 1 fighting team, armed with willing pugilists. Their increased aggression, however, has translated to fewer wins so far</i></p><p><b>T</b>HE SAN JOSE SHARKS TOP OUR fighter rankings because of their bloody knuckles in the present and future, not the past.</p><p>The Sharks were a rugged enough team in recent years. Plenty of their skill players, from Joe Pavelski to Brent Burns, played with an edge. But coach Todd McLellan&rsquo;s group was always disciplined. The Sharks took the third-fewest penalties in the NHL in 2011-12, the seventh-fewest the next season and the fewest last season. Through their first 17 games of 2014-15, they took the seventh <i>most</i> penalties and led the league in fighting majors after finishing 17th last season and 24th the year prior.</p><p>A key reason for the change is 6-foot-8 John Scott, a bouncer on skates with 34 regular season fights and three goals in 242 games. That&rsquo;s a goal every 11 fights or so. &ldquo;John&rsquo;s presence alone can act as a deterrent and help keep teams and opposing players honest,&rdquo; GM Doug Wilson told reporters after the signing.</p><p>That may well be true. Per <a href="http://hockeyfights.com">hockeyfights.com</a>, Scott&rsquo;s career fighting record, including pre-season games, is 33-4-2, with one no contest. Anyone who dares challenge him weathers a storm of knuckle sandwiches from a towering perch. And Scott&rsquo;s presence isn&rsquo;t the only reason San Jose rules the fighting pool. Adam Burish, Andrew Desjardins and Mike Brown (currently in the American League) have made names for themselves as cruiserweights. Desjardins in particular has become a lineup fixture.</p><p>But has the increased machismo come at a cost? Last season, among skaters with at least 200 minutes of ice time, Scott ranked 611th out of 615 skaters with a Corsi Close rating of 37.8. That number partially reflects him spending 2013-14 as a lowly Buffalo Sabre, but what&rsquo;s the excuse this season? Scott is 523rd. Adam Burish is 644th. Desjardins? 620th. And <a href="http://puckalytics.com">puckalytics.com</a> tells us the Sharks, who sputtered to an 8-7-2 record through mid November, sunk to 12th as a team in Corsi Close after finishing fifth last season.</p><p>These Sharks are scary to trade punches with, but an enforcer&rsquo;s skill set isn&rsquo;t conducive to possessing the puck, creating chances and winning.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0044-02516/9998796-1-eng-US/f0044-022.jpg" title="f0044-02" width="214" height="762"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-01688/9998789-1-eng-US/f0045-012.jpg" title="f0045-01" width="1290" height="1101"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ONE MAN ARMY</b> Ryane Clowe is among a small group of Devils who fight, but he does it well. <span class="photo-credit">(BILL WIPPERT/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>SOMETIMES LESS IS MORE</b></h2><p><i>The Devils don&rsquo;t start many fights, but they sure do finish them. Their select few knucklechuckers have been almost unstoppable in their careers</i></p><p><b>T</b>ALK ABOUT MAKING EVERY punch count. The New Jersey Devils roster is 20th in total experience on the THN fight ranking chart but finishes 10th in our overall rating. The reason: quality over quantity. The Devils have by far the best success rate in fisticuffs, amassing an amazing 91-37-27 record and .674 points percentage.</p><p>Most of New Jersey&rsquo;s bloody victories belong to just two men: Ryane Clowe and Jordin Tootoo. Clowe checks in at 37-6-9. He&rsquo;s fought and beaten some brutes, including Shane O&rsquo;Brien, Krys Barch, Shawn Thornton, Jared Boll and Brandon Prust. Clowe is a mountain of a man at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds. He hasn&rsquo;t dropped the mitts as much since joining New Jersey as a free agent in 2013, but he still doesn&rsquo;t pick his spots. Since then he&rsquo;s battled Tanner Glass, Matt Carkner, Mike Weber, Roman Polak and Milan Lucic, losing only to Lucic (which is highly forgivable). It remains to be seen if Clowe&rsquo;s fighting days end soon, however, as he&rsquo;s battled concussions in recent years and sustained another one in November.</p><p>Tootoo lacks Clowe&rsquo;s size at just 5-foot-9 and 195 pounds, but he&rsquo;s one of the best pure fighters around at 37-13-9. He typically fights fellow tough guys within his weight class, but he occasionally reaches for the stars and beats behemoths like Tom Sestito. Tootoo adds a mean streak to a Devils team that had 10 fighting majors all of last season, the 28thmost in the NHL.</p><p>While Clowe and Tootoo are extremely tough customers, they skew the record of an otherwise peaceful Devils operation. In a team-versusteam rumble, would you rather have Clowe and Tootoo or Boston&rsquo;s group of Lucic, Zdeno Chara, Adam Mc-Quaid and Gregory Campbell? That&rsquo;s why factoring total team fight experience, not just fighting success, into our rankings was important.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0045-02469/9998782-1-eng-US/f0045-022.jpg" title="f0045-02" width="832" height="2958"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-01696/9998775-1-eng-US/f0046-012.jpg" title="f0046-01" width="1290" height="1010"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DOESNT END WELL</b> Minnesota has plenty of expperienced flighters with horrible win-loss records. <span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE KLUCKHOHN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>COURAGEOUS TO A FAULT</b></h2><p><i>We cringe when the Wild drop their mitts. They usually take a beating, brave as they may be, but they keep coming back for more</i></p><p><b>S</b>OME NHL GMS CHAMPION fighting as a deterrent to cheap shots. The Minnesota Wild, however, might see fighting as a deterrent to, well, more fighting. Their pugilists&rsquo; history suggests they just aren&rsquo;t very good at it.</p><p>Per <a href="http://hockeyfights.com">hockeyfights.com</a>, the collective career fighting record of everyone to play a game for them in 2014-15 is 22-68-47, good for a .332 points percentage. No other team finished worse than .400. So who are the human punching bags burying Minnesota in the heavyweight rankings?</p><p>Sorry to name names, but one is Ryan Carter, who is just 2-17-5 for his career. What&rsquo;s the secret to his (lack of) success? He&rsquo;s listed at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds but often takes on bigger competition. Case in point: last season, while still a Devil, Carter threw down with mighty Marcus Foligno of Buffalo, who clocks in at 6-foot-3 and 223 pounds. Foligno dropped Carter with a devastating overhand right. Not only was Carter&rsquo;s  bell rung, he injured his knee while falling to the ice and missed five weeks.</p><p>Keith Ballard (8-18-7) and Stephane Veilleux (2-7-10) also weigh down Minnesota&rsquo;s record. Ballard is undersized at 5-foot-11 and plays a chippy game that agitates bigger forwards into challenging him. Corey Perry, Todd Bertuzzi and James Neal have won recent bouts against Ballard. Veilleux simply bites off more than he can chew, having taken on and lost to heavy hitters like Ryan White, Dion Phaneuf and Denis Gauthier over his career.</p><p>Off-season movement skewed the Wild&rsquo;s results slightly. Clayton Stoner and his respectable 13-10-8 mark now belong to the Anaheim Ducks. Meanwhile, removing Carter&rsquo;s record from the books is a big reason why New Jersey finished with by far the best fighting points percentage.</p><p>Minnesota didn&rsquo;t end up last in our rankings, as it earned bonus points for courage, having almost three times as many bouts as lastplace finisher Detroit.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0046-02467/9998768-1-eng-US/f0046-022.jpg" title="f0046-02" width="832" height="2958"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0042-02

FIGHTER RANKINGS

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0047-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0047-01628/9998848-1-eng-US/f0047-012.jpg"></div><p>30 STARS FROM 30 NHL TEAMS</p><p>Find out how your favorite player turned his hockey dream into NHL reality.</p><p>The perfect book for hockey fans, both young and old.</p><p>FROM THE EXPERTS AT</p><p><b>/THEHOCKEYNEWS</b></p><p><b>@THEHOCKEYNEWS</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0047-01

THE BIG BOOK OF HOCKEY FUN!

<div class="byline">WITH RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0048-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-02316/9998879-1-eng-US/f0048-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>CONSENTING ADULTS</b> Hockey players have always accepted the risks associated with fighting. <span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0048-01492/9998886-1-eng-US/f0048-012.jpg" title="f0048-01" width="208" height="247"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b><b>T ALWAYS FASCINATES ME WHEN</b> someone who claims to like hockey says they don&rsquo;t like fighting. Hockey has always had fisticuffs, so clearly when they fell in love with the sport, they knew what they were getting into. They&rsquo;re the sort of folks who go to a Chinese restaurant and ask why cheeseburgers aren&rsquo;t on the menu, I imagine.</p><p>I don&rsquo;t try to intellectualize fighting because for me it&rsquo;s a matter of passion &ndash; my own and that of the players. Hockey is an intense, physical game played at high speeds. It inspires loyal fans who know the sacrifices players have made to get to the elite ranks and appreciate the danger those same athletes face on a nightly basis just by skating around with each other in ill temper. Are concussions bad? Are hits to the head bad? Sure, but players have known the risks forever and I don&rsquo;t believe otherwise, even if specific maladies (such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy) have only been named recently.</p><p>Here, for example, is one testimonial: &ldquo;Violence is taken to a greater degree. There is always the specter of being hurt. A good player, just come into his prime, cracks a skull, breaks a leg, he&rsquo;s finished. If you get hit, you get hit &ndash; with impersonal force.&rdquo; That&rsquo;s former Chicago Black Hawks center Eric Nesterenko, from the Studs Terkel book <i>Working</i>. He told Terkel that in 1971.</p><p>A year or two ago, enforcer Krys Barch told me he was well aware that he could end up with CTE, but he understood the risks of his career choice and was paid more than fairly. Consenting adults playing a sport they love and, nowadays, getting paid handsomely for it. Nanny-staters can argue all they want, but there are far crueler things in this world to gripe about than hockey fights and the hypocrisy of it all is sickening. At the risk of ranting, the &ldquo;barbarity&rdquo; of a minute-long fist-fight is nothing compared to the workers&rsquo; conditions that helped craft the smartphones members of the media tweet on or the trail of suffering that leads to the burgers we all munch on.</p><p>Would injuries go up or down without fighting in the NHL? Impossible to say unless you take the plunge, but I guarantee you will never make the sport safe without gutting it, and at that point, why bother calling it hockey anymore? The same folks in the press who lambasted the Fox glow puck or who have decried the shootout somehow don&rsquo;t see that taking fighting out of the NHL would be, in itself, a radical gimmick.</p><p>Personally, I don&rsquo;t care that the NFL doesn&rsquo;t have scraps, nor do I care basketball banned the practice decades ago. We watch sports for their uniqueness, not their sameness. There&rsquo;s an untamed ruggedness to hockey that even the NFL can&rsquo;t boast anymore and the fact very few hockey games get out of control despite the leniency towards fisticuffs makes me think a certain evolutionary balance has been found the past couple decades. Could hockey attract more fans if it went without brawling? Perhaps, but you&rsquo;d definitely be losing some diehards and replacing them with the fairweather crowd. I&rsquo;d rather stay true to the game&rsquo;s roots instead of selling out to a corporate ideal of sport (I was going to use the term &ldquo;Disneyfication,&rdquo; but even Michael Eisner employed Stu Grimson back in the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim days).</p><p>I&rsquo;m not saying hockey has to remain static, but too often our insular world picks itself apart instead of celebrating what we love. This is an exciting sport where emotions spill over, and that tension is often solved with a fight. It reflects the visceral bond the fans have for their home team and, in a world that embraces blandness, I&rsquo;m glad hockey sticks out. Fighting is a big factor in that uniqueness.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;I DON&rsquo;T CARE THAT THE NFL DOESN&rsquo;T HAVE SCRAPS OR THAT BASKETBALL BANNED THE PRACTICE</blockquote><p>If you don&rsquo;t love the game with fighting in it, maybe you didn&rsquo;t love it that much to begin with.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0048-02

IT’S NOT HOCKEY WITHOUT FIGHTS

<div class="byline">WITH ADAM PROTEAU</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0049-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-02378/9998917-1-eng-US/f0049-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ACE VALUE</b> The scary Injury sustained by George Parras In 2013 mads all fans cringe. <span class="photo-credit">(RICHARD WOLOWICZ/GETTY IMAGESI)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0049-01486/9998924-1-eng-US/f0049-012.jpg" title="f0049-01" width="208" height="247"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span>N 12 YEARS AT THE HOCKEY NEWS, I&rsquo;VE</b> made my position on fighting clear: hockey, and the NHL in particular, doesn&rsquo;t do enough to curtail it. It can&rsquo;t be banned any more than the NBA, NFL, MLB or any other professional league can stop people from punching each other about the face and head, but it can be regulated to a far greater degree. That&rsquo;s not radical or treasonous, no matter how staunch the game&rsquo;s traditionalists try making it out to be.</p><p>The encouraging news is how far the debate has shifted. Where once I heard wisecracks from colleagues who&rsquo;d make half-serious jokes about me fleeing press row when a fight broke out, I now have a steady stream of people (fans and media) saying essentially the same thing: &ldquo;I used to love all kinds of fighting, but now I&rsquo;m with you &ndash; I can&rsquo;t get into the staged fights anymore.&rdquo;</p><p>The evolution in attitude stems from two factors: first, the greater understanding we now have on the cerebral damage caused by repeated blows to the skull; and, the harrowing and occasionally tragic stories of enforcers (including the deaths of Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien and Wade Belak) that resonated with fans who had an emotional connection with them. (Now, you can say there&rsquo;s no definitive link between fighting and the issues behind each of those deaths, and you&rsquo;re right; but the court of public opinion  doesn&rsquo;t demand the same degree of proof as a court system. The optics of all three men passing within a four-month period in 2011 raised awareness of their stresses and the downside of the job.)</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;THE NOTION OF AN AUTOMATIC EJECTION HAS ALREADY BEEN RAISED BY NHL PEOPLE OF POWER</blockquote><p>That&rsquo;s the other heartening thing about where the fighting debate is headed: the direction is only one way. You don&rsquo;t and won&rsquo;t see any neurologist standing up in the future declaring they&rsquo;ve changed their outlook and calling for a return to bare-knuckle combat. No, when people change their mind with this topic, it&rsquo;s always someone who grew up loving any type of fighting coming to see the pointlessness of a good many tilts and the destruction wrought by them. Doing so doesn&rsquo;t make you an effete elitist who wants hockey to become contact-free; it simply means you&rsquo;re willing to listen to doctors and science when it comes to looking after the health of athletes.</p><p>Where does the debate go from here? Threats of multi-million-dollar legal actions from retired players suffering cognitive degeneration or a player dying on the ice will linger over the NHL and shape the way the league approaches fighting as part of its product. To that end, the notion of an automatic ejection has already been raised by NHL people of power (including Tampa Bay GM Steve Yzerman). This idea will increase in popularity as more fans wonder why, for instance, NHLers can fight more than once a night when a mixed martial arts fighter in the UFC must wait at least 90 days after they&rsquo;ve been concussed in one of their battles before they&rsquo;re cleared to compete again.</p><p>Another area of concern is the role played by NHL team doctors in the care of players. Think about it: in boxing, the fight&rsquo;s promoter doesn&rsquo;t pay for and provide the doctor who examines fighters and pronounces them fit to participate. There&rsquo;s a separation and independence there giving full power to the medical professional with no financial or emotional ties to the athlete. The same can&rsquo;t be said for NHL team doctors, who are in the employ of each organization and thus are susceptible to pressure to keep athletes in the lineup &ndash; if not in practice, then in terms of optics. And as we&rsquo;ve noted, optics matter. League commissioner Gary Bettman referenced this issue recently, so expect it to continue to be a point of debate.</p><p>Likewise, expect the debate over fighting&rsquo;s place in hockey to continue for as long as the game is played.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0049-02

BLAME IT ON THE BRAIN

<div class="byline">BY MIKE BROPHY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0050-01475/9998997-1-eng-US/f0050-012.jpg" title="f0050-01" width="397" height="532"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>G</span></b>IVEN HIS DRUTHERS, KEN HOLLAND WOULD have a fighter or two in his lineup every game. &ldquo;People think I don&rsquo;t like fighting,&rdquo; said the GM of the Detroit Red Wings. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s not true at all. I played nine years of pro hockey, and I know the value of having a fighter in your lineup.&rdquo;</p><p>So why, then, do the Red Wings not have a designated enforcer? Why haven&rsquo;t they had one since the 2007-08 season (you win the prize if you knew it was Aaron Downey)? And why &ndash; or how &ndash; did the Red Wings not have a single fighting major in their first 15 games?</p><p>Holland doesn&rsquo;t want to be the poster child for stamping fighting out of the game. Unfortunately for him, history may force him into the role. The Red Wings haven&rsquo;t had a player slug his way to a 100-penalty-minute season in the past six years. Kind of lets you know where the organization stands on the issue of fighting. Funny thing is, Holland and the Red Wings aren&rsquo;t alone.</p><p>The Hockey News had 24 industry insiders &ndash; a group that included GMs, assistant GMs, scouts, former players still in the game and agents &ndash; vote anonymously on several polls and the indication is, even if begrudgingly, fighting is on the way out. There was no more telling indication of that than the answers to this question: how much fighting do you envision there will be in the NHL 10 years from now?</p><p>Those questioned were given four options: no change, fewer fights per game, more fights per game or virtually eradicated. Not surprisingly, &ldquo;more fights&rdquo; was skunked. Fighting is on the decline now, so why would it increase 10 years from now?</p><p>Holland&rsquo;s hypothesis is that one-dimensional players who exist only to intimidate and fight, and not fighting in general, are on the way out. That may be true, but one thing leads to another. &ldquo;Those players that can&rsquo;t kill penalties, can&rsquo;t be on the power play, can&rsquo;t play 10 minutes a game&hellip;if you can&rsquo;t do something on the fourth line other than strictly fight&hellip;&rdquo; Holland&rsquo;s voice trailed off, but you can see where he was headed.</p><p>Holland proudly pointed out the Wings have enjoyed success, winning Stanley Cups, with players who didn&rsquo;t shy away from the odd bareknuckle bout. Brendan Shanahan. Darren McCarty. Martin Lapointe. Even Bob Probert played on good non-Cup teams. &ldquo;We had toughness built right into the middle of our lineup,&rdquo; Holland said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not against fighting, but I have to build a team.&rdquo;</p><p>Holland wanted a fourth line that, if it ended up on the ice after an icing, could get through a shift against the opposition&rsquo;s top unit. And if the Red Wings had injuries (Detroit had the second most man games lost to injury last season with 421, according to <a href="http://mangameslost.com">mangameslost.com</a>), they had players who could slide up to the third or even second line for a few games. &ldquo;We won the Cup in &rsquo;08 and went to the final in &rsquo;09, so our philosophy in team-building answered the question,&rdquo; Holland said.</p><p>Holland did admit there has been the odd night when the opposition &ndash; way ahead or trailing in a game with no hope &ndash; sent a physical message that he wished his team could answer in an old-school fashion. But&hellip;&ldquo;I just couldn&rsquo;t justify having the one-dimensional player for that night over 82 games in relation to what one of our fourth-line players could do for us over 82 games,&rdquo; Holland said.</p><p>Other teams are following his lead.</p><p><b>How do you think fighting should be punished in the NHL?</b></p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0051-01361/9998990-1-eng-US/f0051-012.jpg" title="f0051-01" width="2203" height="603"></div><p><b>Would you support a rule that would provide harsher penalties and/or supplemental discipline for players who take part in so-called staged fights?</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0051-02259/9998983-1-eng-US/f0051-022.jpg" title="f0051-02" width="846" height="598"></div><p><b>If the NHL took steps to virtually eradicate fighting, how do you think it would affect the league&rsquo;s popularity?</b></p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0051-03187/9998976-1-eng-US/f0051-032.jpg" title="f0051-03" width="1126" height="673"></div><p><b>If the NHL took steps to virtually eradicate fighting, how do you think it would affect player safety?</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0051-04150/9998969-1-eng-US/f0051-042.jpg" title="f0051-04" width="987" height="325"></div><p><b>How much fighting do you envision there will be in the NHL 10 years from now?</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0051-05110/9998962-1-eng-US/f0051-052.jpg" title="f0051-05" width="833" height="603"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0051-0692/9998955-1-eng-US/f0051-062.jpg" title="f0051-06" width="244" height="319"></div><p><b>For the full survey results, check out our iPad edition, available on the Apple Newsstand now!</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0050-01

AND THE SURVEY SAYS

<div class="byline">BY MIKE LOFTUS</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0052-02232/9999049-1-eng-US/f0052-022.jpg" title="f0052-02" width="454" height="504"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0052-01361/9999056-1-eng-US/f0052-012.jpg" title="f0052-01" width="75" height="84"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b><b>T MIGHT SEEM HARD TO IMAGINE</b> when he&rsquo;s pile-driving somebody into the boards, battling in front of the net or occasionally committing a deed dirty enough to get him in trouble with the NHL, but Milan Lucic is a student of the game.</p><p>He knows today&rsquo;s NHL &ndash; which teams and which players are doing well, and which are not. He knows his share of relatively recent NHL history, too. Lucic can recite a pretty comprehensive list of the toughest BOSTON <b>BRUINS</b>&nbsp;two-way customers of the last generation or so &ndash; guys who produced and could also punch. &ldquo;Kevin Stevens scored 50 goals and had 250 penalty minutes,&rdquo; Lucic said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s the only guy to ever do it.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0052-03163/9999042-1-eng-US/f0052-032.jpg" title="f0052-03" width="299" height="368"></div><p>Lucic, 26, has learned a lot about Stevens, Rick Tocchet, Wendel Clark and Cam Neely (now the Bruins&rsquo; president), but he rarely saw them play, so he didn&rsquo;t grow up hoping to emulate them. It just happened. &ldquo;I was always a high-energy kid,&rdquo; Lucic said. &ldquo;I always had that little bit of aggression when it came to sports.&rdquo;</p><p>Figuring he&rsquo;d have to answer for that aggression as he tried to climb the hockey ladder, Lucic also reckoned he&rsquo;d have to prove he could take care of himself. Although he didn&rsquo;t develop the reputation he sought as a minor hockey player (a Vancouver native, he wasn&rsquo;t selected in the Western League&rsquo;s bantam draft), his physical style of play didn&rsquo;t go unnoticed. &ldquo;A lot of people had said I was tough, but you never really know until you get into your first fight,&rdquo; said Lucic, who took some boxing lessons as a teenager (&ldquo;mainly for the cardio, for the quick feet, just something to add to my hockey training&rdquo;), and even fought three amateur bouts.</p><p>&ldquo;My first hockey fight was in a Jr. B hockey camp, when I was 15 years old. I did pretty well, so that gave me some confidence moving up.&rdquo;</p><p>Lucic was and still is determined to be known as more than someone who makes his living throwing his 6-foot-3, 235-pound frame around, along with his fists. His physical game gave him entry to the WHL as a Vancouver Giant, made him a second-round pick of the Bruins in 2006 and got him into the NHL at 19. But he wanted more than the 12 minutes a game coach Claude Julien gave him as a rookie fourth-liner, so he continued to develop skills that would result in more playing time.</p><p>Lucic cracked the 100 penaltyminute mark (136) pretty easily in his second year, but he also surpassed 40 points with 17 goals and 25 assists in 2008-09. By 2010-11, he was the proud owner of a 30-goal, 121-PIM season and a Stanley Cup ring. He has averaged 23 goals per 82 games since.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0053-01338/9999035-1-eng-US/f0053-012.jpg" title="f0053-01" width="2097" height="2384"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>KEEPING HIS EDGE</b> The Bruins count on Milan Lucic to score, but he still likes to drop the gloves when necessary.</figcaption></div><p>Not surprisingly, Lucic thinks there&rsquo;s a place for fighting in hockey, perhaps this year more than others. After spending four seasons on the Bruins&rsquo; top offensive line, with power forwards like Nathan Horton or Jarome Iginla at right wing, Lucic has pretty much all of the size on his line.</p><p>That&rsquo;s more than enough for Seth Griffith, the 5-foot-9, 192-pound rookie right winger who joined the long-established Lucic-David Krejci combination early this season. &ldquo;I can go out and play hard, because I have one of the toughest guys in the league on my line,&rdquo; Griffith said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s definitely nothing to worry about when he&rsquo;s out there.</p><p>&ldquo;Guys can play with a little more confidence because of (Lucic). If you battle hard in front, and there&rsquo;s a scrum or something after, you know he&rsquo;s going to be the first one there for his teammates. He&rsquo;s a great teammate.&rdquo;</p><p>That&rsquo;s important to Lucic &ndash; so important that in addition to defending teammates on the ice, he wants to make a difference in the dressing room, too. &ldquo;(Lucic) was picking my brain on some things&rdquo; pertaining to leadership,&rdquo; said former Bruins enforcer Shawn Thornton, now a Florida Panther. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a very dynamic hockey player and a great guy in the room. He is a good leader.</p><p>&ldquo;Whether I was going to be here or not, he was going to step into that role. He&rsquo;s been stepping into it for the last few years.&rdquo;</p><p>Part of being the best Bruin he can be means Lucic must try to fight less often than he did earlier in his career. He&rsquo;s too valuable to the Bruins&rsquo; top line and power play to fight 15 times, as he did as a rookie, or 11 times, as he did in his second season. He hasn&rsquo;t had more than eight bouts in a season since Year 2, but still wants to be allowed to do it when he feels the situation is right. &ldquo;I feel like if (fighting) was taken out of hockey, there&rsquo;d be a lot more cheap shots, a lot more stick work, a lot more guys doing things, knowing there&rsquo;s not the consequence of a guy coming back at them,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s an important element, as far as keeping the game clean and allowing the players to police themselves.&rdquo;</p><p>Lucic has no problem with that working both ways.</p><p>After an infamous collision with then-Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller early in 2011-12, Lucic said he &ldquo;was expecting someone to come after me, all game long. You understand that you have to sometimes step up and face the music when you cross the line with something like that. It&rsquo;s a level of honesty you hope and wish guys would live up to.&rdquo;</p><p>When opponents haven&rsquo;t lived up to the level of honesty Lucic expects, he can lose his temper. That has resulted in two one-game suspensions and two fines. He&rsquo;s not a full-time powder keg, though. Married since the summer of 2012 and the father of Valentina, who&rsquo;ll be two in January, Lucic enjoys family life and said it helps him as a hockey player. &ldquo;Some people might think &lsquo;Oh, it&rsquo;ll make him soft,&rsquo; but it&rsquo;s actually made things better,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It allows me to have more focus, less distraction. You realize what your priorities are &ndash; getting your work done, being a professional, and when it&rsquo;s over, you become a family man.&rdquo;</p><p>One who comes home from work with bruised knuckles from time to time.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0053-02235/9999028-1-eng-US/f0053-022.jpg" title="f0053-02" width="1369" height="917"><figcaption class="caption-body">LUKE GAZDIC & <b>MILAN LUCIC</b></figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0052-02

LUCIC STILL LOVES TO CHUCK ’EM

<div class="byline">&#x2013; WES GILBERTSON</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0054-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0054-02212/9999129-1-eng-US/f0054-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JIM MCISAAC/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0054-01351/9999136-1-eng-US/f0054-012.jpg" title="f0054-01" width="75" height="84"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0054-0831/9999122-1-eng-US/f0054-082.jpg" title="f0054-08" width="1374" height="944"><figcaption class="caption-body">BRAIN <b>MCGRATTAN</b></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>C</span></b><b>ALGARY FLAMES ENFORCER BRIAN</b> McGrattan was a guest speaker at the NHL&rsquo;s rookie symposium in August, and he wasn&rsquo;t there to offers pointers on pugilism.</p><p>Instead, he was sharing his experiences from an entirely different sort of fight. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been through a little more than the average player has,&rdquo; McGrattan said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m a recovering alcoholic. A proud one.&rdquo;</p><p>Proud of his own sobriety, which dates back to Dec. 4, 2008.</p><p>Proud to play a role in supporting others who struggle with addiction issues, which is why the 33-year-old right winger from Hamilton, Ont., was an ideal candidate to speak to the several groups of wide-eyed rookies on the sensitive subject. &ldquo;The docs got a lot of positive feedback saying that was the best part of the orientation camp,&rdquo; McGrattan said. &ldquo;If what I had to say can help someone that was in one of those meetings, or if one of those guys can help a buddy, then that&rsquo;s what I was there for.&rdquo;</p><p>This is the side of the tattooed tough guy that most hockey fans don&rsquo;t know.</p><p>McGrattan has earned a living with his fists, and he remains one of the NHL&rsquo;s most feared heavyweights &ndash; according to <a href="http://hockeyfights.com">hockeyfights.com</a>, he hasn&rsquo;t lost a fight in five years &ndash; though he&rsquo;s been a frequent healthy scratch this fall. But he envisions a future as a helping hand, planning his post-puck career as an addictions counsellor, preferably with the NHL and NHLPA&rsquo;s substance abuse program. &ldquo;When I was maybe two years clean, I had a couple of other players ask me to help them out,&rdquo; Mc-Grattan said. &ldquo;I gave them my numbers to call me any time of the night if they get jammed up, and it&rsquo;s something I feel like I&rsquo;m pretty good at. I get a lot out of helping people.</p><p>&ldquo;And as far as I&rsquo;ve come in my recovery, I think it&rsquo;s a really positive sign that people can look at me and say, &lsquo;Look at what he&rsquo;s done.&rsquo; I like to give that back and give people hope.&rdquo;</p><p>McGrattan and his wife, Michelle, are expecting their first child near the end of the season. &ldquo;Hockey doesn&rsquo;t last forever, but the person you are does,&rdquo; McGrattan said. &ldquo;I take a lot of pride in the person that I&rsquo;ve become, the son and the husband that I&rsquo;ve become since I&rsquo;ve been clean.</p><p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s the way I want to live the rest of my life.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>ALL-TIME ENFORCERS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0054-03142/9999115-1-eng-US/f0054-032.jpg" title="f0054-03" width="328" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(SCOTT LEVY/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Stu Grimson</b> wore eight NHL logos during his 12-year career, and 231 games were in two tours of duty with Anaheim. &lsquo;The Grim Reaper&rsquo; was an active pugilist as a Mighty Ducks original in 1993-94. He returned later, offering space and protection for Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya. Grimson is a TV analyst for Nashville and also a lawyer.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0054-04113/9999108-1-eng-US/f0054-042.jpg" title="f0054-04" width="328" height="506"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(HARRY SCULL JR./GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Tie Domi</b> spent most of his career with the Maple Leafs and cut his teeth as a fighter with the Rangers. In between, he spent a couple years in Winnipeg before the team moved to Phoenix. Domi had some epic tilts with the Jets, rising to prominence in the fighting community. He racked up 344 PIM in just 61 games in 1992-93.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0054-0583/9999101-1-eng-US/f0054-052.jpg" title="f0054-05" width="328" height="505"></div><p><b>Eddie Shore</b> was known as a superstar D-man and, later, a tyrannical AHL owner, but he was also the NHL&rsquo;s most feared fighter in the 1920s and &rsquo;30s. He got as much as he gave. In a game against the Montreal Maroons in 1929, he received five fighting majors, largely because he was fending off constant attacks from the Maroons.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0054-0663/9999094-1-eng-US/f0054-062.jpg" title="f0054-06" width="328" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(RICK STEWART/ALLSPORT)</span></figcaption></div><p>You know you&rsquo;ve made a mark on the game when the NHL makes a rule because of you. <b>Rob Ray</b> inspired the &ldquo;tie-down&rdquo; rule. Almost every time Ray fought, he would end up barechested so his opponent had nothing to grab. One of Ray&rsquo;s most famous fights was with a drunken Nordiques fan who jumped into the Sabres bench.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0054-0741/9999087-1-eng-US/f0054-072.jpg" title="f0054-07" width="328" height="506"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE BENNETT STUDIOS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Tim</b>&nbsp;<b>Hunter</b> is most recognizable for having a big nose, but fighting opponents were more concerned with his pile-driving fists that kept pumping like pistons. He was Calgary&rsquo;s top cop in the halcyon days of the Battle of Alberta. Hunter could play forward and defense and battled Dave Semenko as the top heavyweight of the 1980s.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0054-02

BATTLING THE BOTTLE

<div class="byline">&#x2013; AARON PORTZLINE</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0055-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0055-01306/9999216-1-eng-US/f0055-012.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0055-02199/9999209-1-eng-US/f0055-022.jpg" title="f0055-02" width="74" height="84"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0055-03146/9999202-1-eng-US/f0055-032.jpg" title="f0055-03" width="1373" height="944"><figcaption class="caption-body">JARED <b>BOLL</b> <span class="photo-credit">(KIRK IRWIN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>B</span></b><b>LUE JACKETS RIGHT WINGER JARED</b> Boll started playing hockey when he was seven in the suburbs of Chicago. He began to draw hockey sticks and jerseys on his school folders. Posters soon covered his bedroom walls. But he didn&rsquo;t dream of playing for the Blackhawks, and he didn&rsquo;t foresee a career as a fighter. &ldquo;I wanted to play for the Detroit Red Wings,&rdquo; Boll said. &ldquo;And Sergei Fedorov was my guy.&rdquo;</p><p>Boll was never in a fist fight, he said. No bus stop dust-ups, no playground fights over girls. Nothing.</p><p>It wasn&rsquo;t until he played for a United States League team in Lincoln, Neb., at 16, that his fists of flurry became his forte. &ldquo;The first time I fought, I didn&rsquo;t really know what I was doing&hellip;it just sort of happened,&rdquo; Boll said. &ldquo;And I was good at it, so I kept doing it.&rdquo;</p><p>Boll doesn&rsquo;t ask for too many fights, at least not verbally. He lets his feet do the talking, skating in on the forecheck for disruptive hits that aren&rsquo;t always well received.</p><p>Mike Vellucci, now an assistant GM with the Carolina Hurricanes, was Boll&rsquo;s junior coach with the Ontario League&rsquo;s Plymouth Whalers.</p><p>In 25 years of coaching, Vellucci said, there was only one player he asked to stop hitting. &ldquo;Boll was just relentless,&rdquo; Vellucci said. &ldquo;Nothing dirty, but games would get out of hand, because he would keep coming and coming.&rdquo;</p><p>Since Boll&rsquo;s rookie NHL season of 2007-08, only Chris Neil (1,290) and Daniel Carcillo (1,107) have more penalty minutes than Boll (1,053), and most of those minutes were compiled with his gloves off.</p><p>In the process, he&rsquo;s become (almost) the most famous member of the family. His uncle, Patrick Boll, is an actor, mostly on Broadway but also on TV series such as <i>Law & Order</i>, <i>Spin City</i> and the soap opera <i>One Life To Live</i>.</p><p>The fighting belies Boll&rsquo;s personality. The Blue Jackets&rsquo; Foundation does tireless work with pediatric cancer patients at nearby Nationwide Children&rsquo;s Hospital, and Boll is always front and center on the sign-up sheet. Every year, he takes part in the Flashes of Hope charity, in which terminally ill patients pose with players for a professional photographer.</p><p>Here his fists serve a softer purpose. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s amazing,&rdquo; Boll said. &ldquo;And it&rsquo;s so cool to me when they want to bump fists.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>ALL-TIME ENFORCERS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0055-04109/9999195-1-eng-US/f0055-042.jpg" title="f0055-04" width="328" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(TORONTO STAR)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Torrie Robertson</b> stood up for &lsquo;The Whale&rsquo; long before Hartford moved to Carolina. From 1983-89, the left winger fought all manner of psychos, from Terry O&rsquo;Reilly to John Kordic, even getting into a stick-swinging melee with Paul Holmgren. Robertson&rsquo;s great balance and upper-body strength made him an especially tough opponent.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0055-0575/9999188-1-eng-US/f0055-052.jpg" title="f0055-05" width="328" height="506"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE BENNETT STUDIOS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Aptly nicknamed &lsquo;Charlie,&rsquo; fearsome <b>Dave Manson</b> fought in the Norris Division&rsquo;s enforcer heyday against Bob Probert and Basil McRae. He once bit the hand of St. Louis&rsquo; Scott Stevens, his nemesis. Adding to Manson&rsquo;s mystique was his gravelly voice, the result of a throat punch from Sergio Momesso that led to multiple surgeries.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0055-0652/9999181-1-eng-US/f0055-062.jpg" title="f0055-06" width="327" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(DENIS BRODEUR/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>John Kordic</b> was shoehorned into an enforcer role. His father hated the fact he threw punches to keep his NHL job. Kordic used steroids to bulk up and become a stronger fighter. That drug use, combined with other substances like cocaine, contributed to his fatal 1992 heart attack, suffered after being restrained by police in a Quebec hotel.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0055-0739/9999174-1-eng-US/f0055-072.jpg" title="f0055-07" width="328" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(NOAH GRAHAM/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Although Jared Boll is the Jackets&rsquo; all-time leader in PIM, <b>Jody Shelley</b> was their original enforcer. The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder had a running war in his first season with all-timer Bob Probert, who was winding down his career. Shelley made such an impact that Columbus hired him last year for radio and TV analysis and commentary.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0055-0826/9999167-1-eng-US/f0055-082.jpg" title="f0055-08" width="328" height="506"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(HARRY SCULL JR./GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Basil McRae</b> was among the best pure fighters of the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was also loved in the Minnesota North Stars dressing room for his leadership and humor. His days battling in the &lsquo;Chuck&rsquo; Norris Division are done, but McRae remains highly involved in hockey as co-owner and new GM of the OHL&rsquo;s London Knights.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0055-01

BOLL IS A BOWLING BALL IN COLUMBUS

<div class="byline">&#x2013; GEORGE RICHARDS</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0056-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-02182/9999289-1-eng-US/f0056-022.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-01279/9999296-1-eng-US/f0056-012.jpg" title="f0056-01" width="75" height="84"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-03115/9999282-1-eng-US/f0056-032.jpg" title="f0056-03" width="1374" height="944"><figcaption class="caption-body">SHAWN <b>THORNTON</b> <span class="photo-credit">(ELIOT J. SCHECHTER/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>S</span></b><b>HAWN THORNTON HAD A LONG LIST</b> of things to do once the Florida Panthers&rsquo; charter touched down in Boston. Fighting, which he was known for over his seven years as a Bruin, wasn&rsquo;t on his agenda. It also wasn&rsquo;t far from his mind. &ldquo;I&rsquo;d beat up my own sister if it got us two points,&rsquo;&rsquo; Thornton said when asked if he might drop the gloves against his old teammates.</p><p>Thornton&rsquo;s Boston reunion, however, had more to do with the business of his thriving charity. Everyone seemingly wanted a piece of Thornton&rsquo;s time. He tried to give them what they wanted. &ldquo;Could we make it kind of quick?&rsquo;&rsquo; Thornton asked reporters after Florida&rsquo;s 2-1 overtime loss Nov. 4. &ldquo;I have a lot of family and people to see.&rsquo;&rsquo;</p><p>Thornton, 37, was told he wouldn&rsquo;t be back by Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli weeks before free agency. On July 1 he inked a two-year deal with the Panthers. Being so far away from Boston hasn&rsquo;t stopped Thornton from remaining a part of the local scene. He kept his home in the area and trained with ex-teammates in the off-season. He&rsquo;s still a popular guest on local radio shows, spinning tales from his glory days with the Bruins and telling fans what he&rsquo;s up to in Florida.</p><p>Thornton keeps his charity work in the area humming along. Just before his game against Boston, he presented a pair of charities checks worth $150,000 raised from his popular golf tournament. Thornton&rsquo;s foundation also raises money through its &ldquo;Cuts for a Cause,&rdquo; in which members of the Bruins have their heads shaved by fans who bid big bucks to hold the clippers and do the honors.</p><p>Thornton&rsquo;s play on the ice in Boston is one reason he remains popular there, but so, too, are his philanthropic acts.</p><p>During a timeout in the first period, the Bruins showed a Thornton highlight video as the sellout crowd stood and wildly cheered. Interspersed between clips of Thornton using his fists were ones of him and wife Erin taking the Stanley Cup to a children&rsquo;s hospital or having his head shaved by a youngster.</p><p>Thornton has a lot of memories from Boston, but he&rsquo;s happy his legacy continues as he plies his trade in the Sunshine State. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m very fortunate,&rsquo;&rsquo; he said. &ldquo;I come from a very blue-collar environment and upbringing, so I feel very lucky to be here. I actually enjoy the hospital visits. It&rsquo;s something I want to do. I love having the opportunity to give back. I take pride in it.&rsquo;&rsquo;</p><h2><b>ALL-TIME ENFORCERS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-0486/9999275-1-eng-US/f0056-042.jpg" title="f0056-04" width="328" height="505"></div><p>When it comes to combining talent and toughness, <b>Bob Probert</b> was one of the most feared players ever. His battles with the likes of Tie Domi, Wendel Clark, Marty McSorley and Stu Grimson are legendary. But his fighting came at a price. After he died of heart failure in 2010, researchers found he had chronic trauma encephalopathy (CTE).</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-0550/9999268-1-eng-US/f0056-052.jpg" title="f0056-05" width="328" height="506"></div><p>It&rsquo;s a credit to <b>Georges Laraque&rsquo;s</b> dominance that he never reached 200 PIM in any of his 11 NHL seasons. Opponents never wanted to scrap with such an imposing physical force. Laraque wasn&rsquo;t a fan of fighting himself, so he rarely instigated a tilt, waiting instead for a challenger to make a mistake and drop the gloves first.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-0643/9999261-1-eng-US/f0056-062.jpg" title="f0056-06" width="328" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JEFF VINNICK/GETTY IMAGES/NHLI)</span></figcaption></div><p>To give you an indication of how tough <b>Peter Worrell</b> was: he had 1,200 PIM in just three years of junior. That&rsquo;s a career&rsquo;s worth for a rugged guy in the NHL. During a game against New York in 2001, all the Rangers on the ice basically jumped Worrell after he took a run at Theo Fleury, and Worrell was no worse for wear afterward.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-0727/9999254-1-eng-US/f0056-072.jpg" title="f0056-07" width="328" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(B BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>With a name that sounds like he could be a burger chain&rsquo;s fighting mascot, <b>Marty McSorley</b> used his fists to make it to the NHL, then developed offensive skills to become a versatile rearguard/winger/enforcer never too far from Wayne Gretzky&rsquo;s hip. McSorley went from a minus-39 rookie Penguin to a plus-48 in his peak year with the Kings.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0056-0812/9999247-1-eng-US/f0056-082.jpg" title="f0056-08" width="328" height="506"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE KLUCKHOHN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Derek Boogaard</b>, a.k.a. &lsquo;The Boogeyman,&rsquo; was philanthropic off the ice and the undisputed heavyweight champ on it. But his job took a physical toll. He became reliant on powerful painkilling medications and died of an accidental overdose, mixing them with alcohol in 2011. An autopsy later revealed he&rsquo;d developed CTE.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0056-02

GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

<div class="byline">&#x2013; ADAM PROTEAU</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0057-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0057-01262/9999376-1-eng-US/f0057-012.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0057-02189/9999369-1-eng-US/f0057-022.jpg" title="f0057-02" width="74" height="84"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0057-03143/9999362-1-eng-US/f0057-032.jpg" title="f0057-03" width="1373" height="944"><figcaption class="caption-body">MATT <b>MARTIN</b> <span class="photo-credit">(AL BELLO/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span></b><b>O WATCH MATT MARTIN PLAY HOCKEY</b> is to watch a human bumper car. Now in his fifth season with the New York Islanders, Martin, 25, has earned a reputation as an intense, blue-collar left winger who throws as many punches (447 penalty minutes in 280 games prior to this season) as he does bodychecks (he&rsquo;s led the NHL in hits three times). But when he&rsquo;s not playing, he is anything but high-strung. You&rsquo;re more likely to find him reading or working on a crossword puzzle than trying to knock someone into next week. &ldquo;Away from the ice, I&rsquo;m never stressed about anything,&rdquo; Martin said. &ldquo;I try and take it all in stride.&rdquo;</p><p>The Windsor, Ont., native reads on plane rides and prefers completing a book before seeing the TV show or movie it&rsquo;s based on. He&rsquo;s finished <i>The Hunger Games</i>, and he&rsquo;s checking out Season 1 of <i>Game of Thrones</i> after reading the first book in the series (Khaleesi and Arya Stark are his favorite characters). He&rsquo;s one of several Isles who compete to see who can be first each day to complete the <i>USA Today</i> crossword, and he enjoys friendly teasing with teammate, occasional linemate and close friend Casey Cizikas. He jokes Cizikas has stubby legs. Cizikas tells Martin he has bony knees and elbows. &ldquo;Off the ice, he&rsquo;s laughing all the time, smiling all the time,&rdquo; Cizikas said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s not a side of him people get to see very often.&rdquo;</p><p>Martin also devotes much of his free time to charitable endeavors. He&rsquo;s a staunch backer of military non-profit group Defending the Blue Line and works in support of a cure for cystic fibrosis, a disease that&rsquo;s struck someone close to him: Gunnar Esiason, the brother of his girlfriend, Sydney Esiason (who&rsquo;s the daughter of NFL legend Boomer Esiason). &ldquo;Gunnar has opened my eyes so much,&rdquo; Martin said. &ldquo;He struggles with CF but never complains about anything and appreciates everything he has. I&rsquo;ve learned a lot from him.&rdquo;</p><p>As one of the longer-serving Islanders, Martin has seen challenging times. But being part of the group that&rsquo;s come strongly out of the gate this year is sweeter for him because of the bond that&rsquo;s developed within the organization&rsquo;s young core. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re glad to get off to a good start,</p><p>but we&rsquo;re not satisfied with where we are, and we know we can play better,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But it is a nice feeling coming to the rink this year.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>ALL-TIME ENFORCERS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0057-04118/9999355-1-eng-US/f0057-042.jpg" title="f0057-04" width="328" height="505"></div><p>For all their offensive flair and elan over the years, the Canadiens have never had a shortage of tough guys. The original and best was <b>John Ferguson</b>. Ferguson could also play. He twice scored 20 goals, including a 29-goal season in 1968-69. But he&rsquo;ll always be known, perhaps unfairly, as the NHL&rsquo;s first enforcer.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0057-0575/9999348-1-eng-US/f0057-052.jpg" title="f0057-05" width="328" height="506"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(FREDERICK BREEDON/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Brian</b>&nbsp;<b>McGrattan</b>, who was a Pred for two seasons, is the current kingpin of enforcers. Fitting, then, that his nickname, &lsquo;Big Ern,&rsquo; comes from Billy Murray&rsquo;s character in the movie <i>Kingpin.</i> McGrattan rarely if ever loses a bout. In 2004-05, he set an AHL single-season record with a ridiculous 551 PIM in 71 games.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0057-0652/9999341-1-eng-US/f0057-062.jpg" title="f0057-06" width="327" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(STEVE BABINEAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>One of the most cherished Devils ever was also one of the toughest. D-man <b>Ken Daneyko</b> went through the wars in 18 seasons with New Jersey, blending bone-crunching hockey with fisticuffs. He won three Cups, racked up a franchise-record 2,519 PIM and had his No. 3 retired in 2006. He now works in broadcasting for the franchise.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0057-0726/9999334-1-eng-US/f0057-072.jpg" title="f0057-07" width="328" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(B BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Clark Gillies</b> once beat up Dave &lsquo;The Hammer&rsquo; Schultz so bad that three Broad Street Bullies jumped the Isles star from behind to stop the onslaught. Gillies is also a Hall of Famer and two-time first team all-star with four Cup rings and a reputation for leadership. Far from a goon, he never had 100 PIM in any of his 14 NHL seasons.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0057-0818/9999327-1-eng-US/f0057-082.jpg" title="f0057-08" width="328" height="506"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(WALTER KELLEHER/NY DAILY NEWS ARCHIVE VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>A fan favorite when he arrived on Broadway in 1954, &lsquo;Leapin&rsquo; <b>Lou Fontinato</b> was a hardcore enforcer for seven years there. His most famous dance partner was Gordie Howe, and he once had his nose broken by &lsquo;Mr. Hockey.&rsquo; Fontinato&rsquo;s career was cut short as a member of the Habs after a scary crash into the end boards paralyzed him for a month.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0057-01

THE ISLANDERS’ RENAISSANCE MAN

<div class="byline">&#x2013; BRUCE GARRIOCH</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0058-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-02191/9999449-1-eng-US/f0058-022.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-01284/9999456-1-eng-US/f0058-012.jpg" title="f0058-01" width="75" height="84"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-03112/9999442-1-eng-US/f0058-032.jpg" title="f0058-03" width="1374" height="944"><figcaption class="caption-body">CHRIS <b>NEIL</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JAMIE SABAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>T</span></b><b>HE &lsquo;A&rsquo; EMBLAZONED OVER CHRIS</b> Neil&rsquo;s heart stands for a lot of things. Officially it&rsquo;s alternate captain. But for the Senators&rsquo; veteran right winger, the letter is there because it serves notice he isn&rsquo;t just another player on a team with stars such as Erik Karlsson, Bobby Ryan and Craig Anderson.</p><p>Neil, 35, is a lot more than a guy who isn&rsquo;t afraid to drop the gloves. He plays important minutes, and he scores the odd goal. In his role with the Senators, he serves and protects. And the Flesherton, Ont., native is proud of it, because he&rsquo;s had to work for everything he&rsquo;s gotten. &ldquo;Once I got here, I wanted to get better so I could be a regular who got in the lineup every night,&rdquo; Neil said. &ldquo;You always have to work on your game. If you want to be quicker, stronger or faster, you have to pay attention to details. I try to get better every year that I come in. There&rsquo;s always room for improvement.&rdquo;</p><p>While Neil has amassed more than 2,200 penalty minutes (that&rsquo;s 36 games worth) in more than 860 NHL games, the rugged competitor has established himself as a good, strong performer who is tough as nails to play against. Since joining the Senators in 2001-02, he has earned the trust of every coach as a guy who can be put on in any situation. He&rsquo;s even seen shifts on the power play to cause havoc in front of the net.</p><p>Neil&rsquo;s best year offensively was 2005-06, when had 16 goals and 33 points. He scored his 100th career goal last season, and his toothy grin is evidence he&rsquo;s someone who has never backed down. &ldquo;I want to be consistent,&rdquo; Neil said. &ldquo;I want the coaching staff to throw me out there in the last minute and get the job done. I don&rsquo;t think you can question my work ethic every night. That&rsquo;s the way that you have to be.&rdquo;</p><p>Neil has established himself in the community. He and his wife Caitlin are the honor chairs of Roger&rsquo;s House &ndash; a home for families of children battling cancer that was built in the memory of legendary NHL coach and late Senators assistant Roger Neilson. &ldquo;I consider it an honor to be part of it,&rdquo; said Neil, a father of three.</p><p>The &lsquo;A&rsquo; on Neil&rsquo;s jersey is in the right place because, in a lot of ways, his game and the way he conducts himself off the ice are all about heart.</p><h2><b>ALL-TIME ENFORCERS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-0485/9999435-1-eng-US/f0058-042.jpg" title="f0058-04" width="328" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ANDRE RINGUETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Chris Neil</b>, a middleweight, often punches above his weight class. For that, he is one of Ottawa&rsquo;s most beloved players. He doesn&rsquo;t reserve his fighting spirit only for opponents and big guys. Last season in practice, he and then-teammate Cory Conacher got into a spat that ended with Neil punching the diminutive Conacher in the face.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-0553/9999428-1-eng-US/f0058-052.jpg" title="f0058-05" width="328" height="506"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(B BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Dave &lsquo;The Hammer&rsquo; Schultz</b> embodied Broad Street Bullies intimidation. One of the all-time scariest fighters, he would do anything to hurt the enemy, even bashing his opponent&rsquo;s head against the glass. For opposing fans, he was a super villain, hamming it up as refs escorted him to the box. His 472 PIM in 1974-75 are an NHL record.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-0639/9999421-1-eng-US/f0058-062.jpg" title="f0058-06" width="328" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(GRAIG ABEL COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Pittsburgh is a skill organization, but you can&rsquo;t survive decadeslong beefs with the Flyers and Rangers without fighting back. <b>Gary Rissling</b> handled duties in the early 1980s at just 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds. He took on bigger foes and inspired the next generation: nephew Jaynen Rissling just went pro after a fight-filled WHL career.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-0726/9999414-1-eng-US/f0058-072.jpg" title="f0058-07" width="328" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Tony</b>&nbsp;<b>Twist</b> enjoyed fighting. He punched a concrete floor for 15 minutes before every game to toughen his knuckles, which he often deployed against rival Todd Ewen. Twist had heavy hands and inhuman strength. After a motorcycle crash in 1999, which ended his career, police said a normally muscled person wouldn&rsquo;t have survived.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0058-0814/9999407-1-eng-US/f0058-082.jpg" title="f0058-08" width="328" height="506"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(ART FOXALL/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Jeff</b>&nbsp;<b>Odgers</b> grew up in Canada&rsquo;s cattle country and was an undrafted scrappy winger for the Brandon Wheat Kings. So it made sense if he were to make the NHL, it would be as an enforcer for an expansion team playing in an arena called the Cow Palace. A San Jose Shark original, he took it and gave it on the chin for five seasons.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0058-02

PACKING MORE THAN A PUNCH

<div class="byline">&#x2013; BEN KUZMA</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0059-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-01226/9999536-1-eng-US/f0059-012.jpg"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-02149/9999529-1-eng-US/f0059-022.jpg" title="f0059-02" width="74" height="84"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-03110/9999522-1-eng-US/f0059-032.jpg" title="f0059-03" width="1373" height="944"><figcaption class="caption-body">TOM <b>SESTITO</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JEFF VINNICK/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>TOM SESTITO WASN&rsquo;T ONE OF THOSE</b> wide-eyed, hockey-crazed kids glued to the television set.</p><p>Growing up in Rome, N.Y., he roamed the neighborhood with his friends riding bikes and playing football or tag. It was far removed from where the Vancouver Canucks winger is today, a man who led the league in penalty minutes and fights last season. &ldquo;When I was 11, my grandfather gave me a pager &ndash; the one he had from the firehouse &ndash; and they would page me when they wanted me to come home, because I would go out all day,&rdquo; Sestito said. &ldquo;We just didn&rsquo;t want to be home. We didn&rsquo;t have much, and we didn&rsquo;t play video games.&rdquo;</p><p>With his father, Peter, a former quarterback at Colgate University and older brother, Tim, trading football for hockey and the New Jersey Devils, Sestito shifted his focus to a sporting life. He was also a quarterback (until Grade 10), but he gravitated toward hockey. A skilled forward early on, Sestito grew five-and-a-half inches the year after he was selected by the Plymouth Whalers in the Ontario League draft. More size meant more attention and more fighting. &ldquo;I just sprouted up, and it was a tough phase for me because I just didn&rsquo;t have the muscle,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It was unbelievable and definitely tough for me with back pain. I filled out, but everybody comes after the big guy, so I started to learn as I went along. I was just a player, and I would score a lot of goals, but your role changes at the next level. I did what I needed to do to be tough and it worked. Then you get drafted in the NHL and a team tells you what role you play, and you get stuck in a role.&rdquo;</p><p>&ldquo;Stuck&rdquo; may seem strange for a 6-foot-5, 228-pound monster who amassed 150 PIM seasons in the OHL, American League and NHL and took boxing and mixed martial arts lessons, but Sestito scored 42 goals as a junior linemate of James Neal in 2006-07. Still, the 27-year-old maintains a refreshing attitude toward a thankless job. &ldquo;At the end of the day, you have to think this is a fun job,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;People get dealt hands with cancer or something else and they get up every day. You have to relax and know it&rsquo;s your job and a tough job. We&rsquo;re pretty lucky to go out and do what we do. I&rsquo;m happy to have what I have around me, and I&rsquo;m grateful for everything I have.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>ALL-TIME ENFORCERS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-0489/9999515-1-eng-US/f0059-042.jpg" title="f0059-04" width="328" height="505"></div><p><b>Enrico</b>&nbsp;<b>Ciccone</b> came on the scene with the Lightning in 1993 and quickly became a cult hero. He dropped the gloves with anyone and had a penchant for going berserk. Ciccone once said GM Phil Esposito told him not to tell reporters he was hurt because fans would not buy tickets for the next game if they knew Ciccone wasn&rsquo;t playing.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-0558/9999508-1-eng-US/f0059-052.jpg" title="f0059-05" width="328" height="506"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE BENNETT STUDIOS/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>It&rsquo;s close between <b>Dave &lsquo;Tiger&rsquo; Williams</b>, Tie Domi and Red Horner, but Williams gets the nod for his exploits in four full seasons and parts of two others with the Leafs. He never backed down from a fight, even against Dave Schultz or Terry O&rsquo;Reilly. He was a better offensive player later with Vancouver but proved he could score in Toronto.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-0645/9999501-1-eng-US/f0059-062.jpg" title="f0059-06" width="327" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JOHN GIAMUNDO/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Donald Brashear</b> gets the edge over a solid cast of Canuck pugilists, including Orland Kurtenbach, Tiger Williams, Harold Snepsts, Garth Butcher and Gino Odjick. Brashear wasn&rsquo;t a one-dimensional fighter. He got a regular shift and scored at least eight goals in seven consecutive seasons, unheard of for enforcers in the dead puck era.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-0732/9999494-1-eng-US/f0059-072.jpg" title="f0059-07" width="328" height="505"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JIM LEARY/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Tough as nails and fearless, <b>Dale Hunter</b> is second all-time in career PIM with 3,565, but he also had 1,020 points. He played most of his career with the Caps, though one of his most famous moments came with Quebec, when he fought his brother Mark in Montreal. The two clearly made up, buying the OHL&rsquo;s London Knights after they retired.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0059-0819/9999487-1-eng-US/f0059-082.jpg" title="f0059-08" width="328" height="506"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(SCOTT CUNNINGHAM/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>Eric Boulton</b> is Atlanta/Winnipeg&rsquo;s all-time PIM leader. Toiling on some weak Atlanta teams, Boulton took on all comers, including super heavyweights Georges Laraque and George Parros. Boulton&rsquo;s career exclamation mark came in 2011 when (as a Devil) he dropped San Jose behemoth Douglas Murray with a single punch.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0059-01

LATE BLOOM CREATES A GOON

<div class="image-hero"><img title="f0060-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-02142/9999567-1-eng-US/f0060-022.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>NOW THAT&rsquo;S A HOME RUN</b>Bill Stewart went from being a baseball umpire to a Stanley Cup-winning coach with the Hawks. <span class="photo-credit">(HHOF IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0060-01230/9999574-1-eng-US/f0060-012.jpg" title="f0060-01" width="199" height="238"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>Y</span></b><b>OU COULDN&rsquo;T MAKE THIS UP. AN AMERICAN-BORN NATIONAL</b> League baseball umpire coaches the Chicago Black Hawks in the 1937-38 season. His club finishes dreadfully under .500, yet manages to make the playoffs. His goalie is injured the day of Game 1. A replacement is reputedly found in a Toronto tavern. He beats the heavily favored Maple Leafs and then is suspended by the league. Eventually, the Hawks win the championship, but Lord Stanley&rsquo;s Cup isn&rsquo;t even around for the players to haul around the rink.</p><p>Go figure. Then again, how could anyone figure the Windy City sextet that slaphappy season under the dictatorship of millionaire club owner Major Frederic McLaughlin? A First World War veteran, McLaughlin dreamed of an all-American roster but settled for a few good star-spangled skaters, including Minnesota-born netminder Mike Karakas.</p><p>McLaughlin&rsquo;s America-first chauvinism infuriated Canadian puck pundits including New York Rangers patriarch Lester Patrick, who ridiculed the eight U.S.-born Black Hawks as a bunch of &ldquo;amateurs.&rdquo; Who could argue with Patrick when Chicago finished the season with a 14-25-9 record, the only one of six teams to make the post-season with a losing record. Their chances of winning the Stanley Cup were rated 100-1. Not that coach Bill Stewart cared. &ldquo;This was the happiest team I ever saw in professional sport,&rdquo; said Stewart, the only NHL coach ever hired while umpiring a ball game in Philadelphia.</p><p>Joy turned to angst after Montreal beat the Black Hawks 6-4 to open the best-of-three Round 1 series. But Chicago tied it with a 4-0 win in Game 2 and then wrapped it up in overtime of Game 3 on Lou Trudel&rsquo;s ping-pong shot that bounced off Paul Thompson. If that wasn&rsquo;t enough of an upset, Stewart&rsquo;s skaters then knocked off the sizzling New York Americans, who had just stunned the Rangers.</p><p>Despite being in the final round, the Hawks, who finished 20 points behind Toronto, had only one hope, and that was in net. But when Karakas complained about an aching foot before Game 1, medics discovered he had a broken big toe. By the morning of the final, Karakas&rsquo; toe ballooned to a point where he couldn&rsquo;t even fit his foot in a skate.</p><p>Desperate for a goalie in an era when one rubber-stopper usually was enough, the Hawks&rsquo; high command beseeched Toronto boss Conn Smythe to allow them to replace Karakas with Rangers goalie Dave Kerr, who happened to be there to watch the game. Deflated by Smythe&rsquo;s unprintable reply, the Black Hawks general staff combed Canada&rsquo;s Queen City for a goalie, any goalie.</p><p>According to NHL legend, one Alfie Moore was found quaffing liquid refreshment in a tavern a few hours before game time. A minor league goalie of little repute, Moore happily signed a Chicago contract. Once the game began, Moore did little to enhance his reputation by allowing an early goal to Leafs Hall of Famer Gordie Drillon. Unfazed, Moore held fast while Chicago rallied to win the game.</p><p>Tickled over his good fortune, Stewart announced that Moore would start Game 2, but Smythe lobbied NHL president Frank Calder that Alfie had been illegally signed. The Black Hawks were forced to employ another minor leaguer, Paul Goodman, who ineptly lost 5-1. By this time Karakas had been fitted with a steel-toed boot.</p><p>The Minnesotan responded with a 2-1 win and completed the <i>coup de grace</i> by topping Toronto 4-1 for the Cup. But Lord Stanley&rsquo;s mug was nowhere to be found. Edward Burns of the <i>Chicago Tribune</i> had the answer. The league had so little faith in the Hawks that it didn&rsquo;t even bring the Cup to the Windy City. &ldquo;Calder had earlier caused the trophy to be shipped to Toronto,&rdquo; Burns wrote. &ldquo;It was reportedly on the assurance that a hockey team that harbored eight American-born hockey players as did the Hawks couldn&rsquo;t possibly win the Stanley Cup.&rdquo;</p><p>You might figure that after such a noble coaching job, Stewart would be around for a few years, but McLaughlin fired him after 22 games the following season. The umpire exited laughing. &ldquo;I took off for Florida,&rdquo; Stewart recalled, &ldquo;to spend the Major&rsquo;s money and drown my sorrow in sunshine.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0060-02

MAD MAJOR’S MINOR MIRACLE

<div class="byline">BY RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0061-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-01208/9999612-1-eng-US/f0061-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DIDN&rsquo;T BACK DOWN</b> Dino Ciccarelli and the North Stars gave as good as they got in their brawl with the B&rsquo;s. <span class="photo-credit">(STEVE BABINEAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b><b>T WAS AS OMINOUS A</b> warning as an NHL official could get. Gord Broseker was skating around in warmups, ready to work a North Stars-Bruins game at the old Boston Garden with fellow linesman Kevin Collins and referee Dave Newell, when Minnesota right winger Tom Younghans skated by. &ldquo;I hope you and Kevin went to the gym today.&rdquo;</p><p>It was Feb. 26, 1981, and the two teams would soon make NHL history by brawling their way to 67 penalties after the first period &ndash; still an NHL record &ndash; and 84 in total, including 16 majors and 13 game misconducts.</p><p>Glen Sonmor was the bench boss for Minnesota that night and if anyone deserves blame for the meleefilled evening it&rsquo;s probably him. To this day, however, his North Stars charges still give him credit for inspiring them to stick up for each other against the big bad Bruins. &ldquo;It looked like we were going to match up with them in the first round of the playoffs,&rdquo; Younghans said. &ldquo;And I remember at the team meal, while we were having dessert, Sonmor addressed us all. He started matching guys up: Jack Carlson and Stan Jonathan, Bobby Smith and Steve Kasper&hellip;He told us we were just as tough, but they play together. He emphasized how important it was to react. If someone breathed on you or looked at you cross-eyed, it was important to set the stage.&rdquo;</p><p>And set the stage they did. Seven seconds into the game, one of Sonmor&rsquo;s pairings found each other, with Smith taking on the 5-foot-8 Kasper.</p><p>That was just the tip of the iceberg. After a couple more scraps, a line brawl erupted at the nine-minute mark and the archaic design of Boston Garden took center stage. The problem was that the hallway to the visitors&rsquo; dressing room came right off Boston&rsquo;s bench, so any North Star kicked out of the game had to walk right by the entire Bruins team. Before long, the hallway was packed with brawling players, fans, security officials and even a cameraman who got stuck in the middle of the fray. &ldquo;The Bruins were standing up for their fans and the benches just emptied,&rdquo; Younghans said. &ldquo;And when you&rsquo;re in a bench-clearing brawl, you don&rsquo;t know where that next punch is coming from.&rdquo;</p><p>Broseker doesn&rsquo;t even  member the hallway scrum because he had bigger problems on his hands. Specifically, a pair of 200-pounders named Craig Hartsburg and Brad McCrimmon. Minnesota&rsquo;s Hartsburg had just pounded on future Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis, while McCrimmon fought a pair of North Stars. Broseker was hauling Hartsburg down the hallway to the visitors&rsquo; dressing room when he saw McCrimmon running down the concrete, still in his skates. Thinking on his feet, Broseker yelled out to an old attendant in charge of the officials&rsquo; dressing room. &ldquo;I yelled out, &lsquo;Herbie, open the door!&rsquo; and I threw Hartsburg in,&rdquo; Broseker said. &ldquo;Later, once I was back on the ice I thought, &lsquo;Geez, I wonder what happened to Hartsburg. He&rsquo;s probably tearing our room apart.&rsquo; &rdquo;</p><p>Since the team&rsquo;s birth in 1967, the North Stars had never won a game at Boston Garden and on this night, nearly a decade and half later, the streak continued as the Bruins won what Broseker and his mates dubbed &ldquo;The Boston Massacre&rdquo; by a score of 5-1. After the game, though, the North Stars weren&rsquo;t broken. Bloodied, sure, but they held their heads high knowing they had stood together. A few weeks later the teams did indeed meet in the playoffs and Minnesota swept the series. &ldquo;We lost that game, but we really did something about winning the war,&rdquo; Younghans said. &ldquo;We were having a good season and that gave us an extra push.&rdquo;</p><p>Now retired, Broseker looks back at that game as part of a bygone era. &ldquo;If it happened today,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;it would go down as one of the filthiest, dirtiest games ever. Back then, those kinds of brawls were just part of the sport.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0061-02143/9999605-1-eng-US/f0061-022.jpg" title="f0061-02" width="408" height="415"></div><h2><b><i>BIGGER IS BETTER</i></b></h2><p>This tale comes from The Hockey News&rsquo; book, <i>Biggest of Everything in Hockey</i>, which covers the giants of the sport in 50 colossal categories, ranging from the biggest arena to the biggest upset. <b><i><a href="http://THN.COM/BIG">THN.COM/BIG</a></i></b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0061-01

THE BRAWL OF ALL BRAWLS

<div class="byline">BY ROBIN SHORT</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0062-01228/9999685-1-eng-US/f0062-012.jpg" title="f0062-01" width="326" height="356"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0062-02128/9999678-1-eng-US/f0062-022.jpg" title="f0062-02" width="2336" height="1460"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>FEELING THE SQUEEZE</b> Enforcers like Zack Stortini don&rsquo;t get much NHL duty now. Even AHL opportunities are shrinking. <span class="photo-credit">(JUSTSPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b><b>T&rsquo;S SAFE TO SAY DAVE ANDREWS</b> is a hockey lifer, considering his days as a Canadian college goalie, his work in what was then known as the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and his running major junior and minor pro teams.</p><p>So it&rsquo;s no surprise the president of the American League for 21 years and counting &ldquo;gets it&rdquo; when a fight breaks out after one player takes exception to an errant high stick or flying elbow from another during a battle for the puck.</p><p>But Andrews doesn&rsquo;t subscribe to the fighting-as-entertainment folly in which two men meet at center ice and drop the gloves for no rhyme or reason. Considering players today are much bigger, stronger and, in a lot of cases, trained to throw powerful punches, Andrews gets a queasy feeling in his stomach when the big guys square off. Thoughts of, &ldquo;I hope nobody gets hurt in this one&rdquo; run through his mind.</p><p>It&rsquo;s one of the reasons the AHL, at Andrews&rsquo; behest, instituted a rule last summer stating: &ldquo;An automatic game misconduct will be applied to any player who has been assessed two major penalties for fighting or three major penalties for any infraction in the same game.&rdquo; (As for the instigator penalty, any player who is seen as being prodded by another player, the instigator, to fight won&rsquo;t have the scrap count against his fight total for the game.) This works in conjunction with the AHL&rsquo;s rule around misconducts, which dictates that a player gets a one-game ban after three misconducts in a single season, two games after their fourth misconduct and so on.</p><p>It&rsquo;s still in the early stages of 2014-15, and Andrews said there&rsquo;s no significant decrease in the amount of fighting in the league. The more punitive aspect of the rule will become more evident later in the season as misconducts increase. &ldquo;Fight now&rdquo; is the school of thought, but as players build up misconducts, they will hurt in the long run.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-02112/9999671-1-eng-US/f0063-022.jpg" title="f0063-02" width="1128" height="1284"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT</b> New AHL rules will punish tough guys like Frazer McLaren, left, for too many misconducts.</figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-0533/9999664-1-eng-US/f0063-052.jpg" title="f0063-05" width="523" height="826"><figcaption class="caption-body">DAVE <b>ANDREWS</b> <span class="photo-credit">(DAN HICKLING/AHL)</span></figcaption></div><p>Fighting has long been part of the AHL, if only because young toughs have felt the need to prove themselves and get noticed in the minors.</p><p>Last year, for example, there were 1,958 fighting majors in 1,140 AHL games. The NHL had 933 in 1,230 games.</p><p>And there are no shrinking violets in today&rsquo;s AHL, which includes the Toronto Marlies&rsquo; Colton Orr, a veteran NHL tough guy sent to the minors this year with Frazer McLaren, who spent the past two winters with the Maple Leafs primarily to throw punches.</p><p>And they&rsquo;re not the only players in the AHL this season who have worked as NHL policemen. The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have Jay Rosehill and Zack Stortini on their roster. The Adirondack Flames have Trevor Gillies, though he&rsquo;s taking a break these days after the league slapped him with a 12-game suspension for slamming the head of Rochester Americans winger William Carrier&rsquo;s to the ice in a mid-October fight.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;I DON&rsquo;T HEAR THAT ON THE BUSINESS SIDE WHERE PEOPLE ARE SAYING, &lsquo;FIGHTING IS IMPORTANT&rsquo;<br> &ndash; Dave Andrews</blockquote><p>But today&rsquo;s game is nothing like what it was in the 1980s and &rsquo;90s. That was a time, Andrews recalled, when each team had two or three designated enforcers. During Andrews&rsquo; time as director of operations for the Cape Breton Oilers, Edmonton&rsquo;s AHL affiliate employed the likes of John Kordic, Marc Laforge, Mike Ware and, for 21 games, the infamous Link Gaetz, who racked up 140 penalty minutes in that span. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t have statistical evidence at hand,&rdquo; Andrews said, &ldquo;but I would think there are a whole lot fewer major penalties for fighting now than back then. The mayhem of those days is long gone.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-0376/9999657-1-eng-US/f0063-032.jpg" title="f0063-03" width="218" height="217"></div><p>In a paper entitled &ldquo;American Hockey League attendance: A study of fan preferences for fighting, team performance and promotions,&rdquo; published in the <i>International Journal for Sport Finance</i>, the authors surmise the role of fighting is shown to heavily influence attendance in a &ldquo;positive and significant&rdquo; manner: &ldquo;For each additional fight per game that the home team averages, attendance at AHL games increased by almost 1,000 fans.&rdquo;</p><p>The study also noted, &ldquo;It appears a key reason to keep fighting in the sport of hockey is that fans respond favorably at the gate to on-ice fights.&rdquo;</p><p>It&rsquo;s a hot-button topic, perhaps one of the reasons why the Marlies refused to make Orr or McLaren available to THN.</p><p>Andrews took exception to some of the findings, suggesting the claim each additional fight equates to 1,000 additional fans at the gate is simply not true. It&rsquo;s like asking fans, he said, if they like the shootout. Most media attention to that aspect of the game is negative, and most fans Andrews chats with prefer to have a game decided in overtime. &ldquo;And yet when the shootout&rsquo;s on,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;everyone is on the edge of their seat.&rdquo;</p><p>Fights generally create a tremendous amount of buzz in the building, but that doesn&rsquo;t mean there&rsquo;s a direct correlation between fighting and increased attendance. &ldquo;Ican tell you this: Idon&rsquo;t think there is any conversation, certainly in our league, around the need for fighting to be in the game from a marketing perspective. The hockey people have their own view of the role of fighting in the game and what place it has in the game. I don&rsquo;t hear that on the business side where people are saying, &lsquo;Oh boy, fighting is really important to us.&rsquo; &rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-0452/9999650-1-eng-US/f0063-042.jpg" title="f0063-04" width="523" height="826"><figcaption class="caption-body">JAY <b>ROSEHILL</b> <span class="photo-credit">(JUSTSPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY)</span></figcaption></div><p>Andrews won&rsquo;t wade into the debate on fighting and its place in hockey, and he won&rsquo;t suggest his league&rsquo;s rule changes are the start of a ban on fighting in the game. Rather, the new regulations will trim the number of pointless fights that crop up.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-0625/9999643-1-eng-US/f0063-062.jpg" title="f0063-06" width="718" height="473"><figcaption class="caption-body">COLTON <b>ORR</b> <span class="photo-credit">(GRAIG ABEL)</span></figcaption></div><p>And that, he says, will make for a better, healthier game.</p><p><b>1,958</b> Fighting majors in the AHL in 2013-14, amounting to 1.72 per contest. The NHL had 933 fighting majors in 1,230 games last season, amounting to 0.76 per game, less than half the AHL&rsquo;s rate<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0062-01

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

<div class="byline">BY STEVE ZIPAY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0064-0446/9999737-1-eng-US/f0064-042.jpg" title="f0064-04" width="326" height="356"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0064-01184/9999730-1-eng-US/f0064-012.jpg" title="f0064-01" width="1660" height="1101"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>FIGHT CLUB FIZZLE</b> Dylan McIlrath took on Ryan Reaves this season in the kind of staged tussle that is fading away. <span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>I</span></b><b>N A CORNER OF THE RANGERS&rsquo;</b> dressing room at their training center in the New York suburbs, Dylan McIlrath removed his helmet. Two cuts appeared near his left eyebrow. &ldquo;He got me with the last one,&rdquo; McIlrath said.</p><p>They were the only remnants of another throwdown in the brief NHL career of the kid dubbed &lsquo;The Undertaker&rsquo; during his Western League days with Moose Jaw. This bout, pretty much a draw, had been with Blues right winger Ryan Reaves. It was McIlrath&rsquo;s second tussle in three career NHL games. &ldquo;He made a bypass earlier in the game and then, off the draw, we both kind of looked at each other and, yup,&rdquo; McIlrath said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s from Winnipeg (too) so I&rsquo;m definitely familiar with what type of player he is and what kind of guy he is. We&rsquo;re supposed to stick together (being from Winnipeg). No friends out there, I guess.&rdquo;</p><p>Sometimes it appears there are more critics than friends of the Rangers scouts who drafted the 6-foot-5 McIlrath 10th overall pick in 2010, passing on defenseman Cam Fowler (12th) and forwards such as Jaden Schwartz (14th) and Vladimir Tarasenko (16th).</p><p>At that point, the Rangers believed they were set offensively on the blueline with Michael Del Zotto, so they invested in toughness and upside. But McIlrath, who will be 23 in April, hasn&rsquo;t yet been able to crack the lineup except on an emergency basis.</p><p>Publicly, McIlrath said he doesn&rsquo;t feel any undue pressure: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just trying to be responsible defensively, play simple, play hard, play my game.&rdquo;</p><p>He was returned to Hartford after the Blues game when Kevin Klein returned from injury. Mc-Ilrath played just 8:02 in the contest and had three penalties, including the fight, but blocked three shots and delivered two hits.</p><p>Never a gifted skater, McIlrath had his development set back a year in July 2012, when he dislocated his right kneecap in a prospect scrimmage. He&rsquo;s since had some issues with the leg. He will be a restricted free agent this summer, and the front office has a decision to make on McIlrath&rsquo;s future.</p><p>The Rangers have veteran righties Dan Girardi and Klein locked up, and Dan Boyle has another year on his contract. They also are high on Brady Skjei, drafted 28th overall in 2012, and playing his third season at the University of Minnesota.</p><p>In an era of mobile defensemen, McIlrath is going to struggle to join the rush, and although teammates applaud his willingness to watch their backs, coach Alain Vigneault wonders if staged glove dropping still has a place. &ldquo;That type of fighting, where both players were trying to get their teams going, I don&rsquo;t know in today&rsquo;s game how much of an impact it really has,&rdquo; Vigneault said. &ldquo;I do know it takes a lot of courage. If there&rsquo;s some banging going on and two guys turn around and say, &lsquo;Let&rsquo;s go,&rsquo; I&rsquo;ve got nothing against it.</p><p>&ldquo;What Dylan did, and Reaves, is something &ndash; it takes balls to do that &ndash; but I don&rsquo;t know how much room is left in the game for that right now.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0064-0362/9999723-1-eng-US/f0064-032.jpg" title="f0064-03" width="965" height="1357"><figcaption class="caption-body">DYLAN <b>MCILRATH</b> <span class="photo-credit">(CHRIS RUTSCH / HARTFORD WOLF PACK)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>DYLAN MCILRATH</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0064-02112/9999716-1-eng-US/f0064-022.jpg" title="f0064-02" width="219" height="205"></div><p><b>POSITION</b></p><p>Defenseman</p><p><b>AGE</b> 22</p><p><b>HEIGHT</b> 6-5</p><p><b>WEIGHT</b> 220 lbs</p><p><b>DRAFTED</b></p><p>NY Rangers, 10th overall in 2010</p><p><b>49</b></p><p>Players drafted after Dylan McIlrath in 2010 who have played more NHL games than he has<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0064-04

‘UNDERTAKER’ UNDERACHIEVES

<h2><b>Guess</b>&nbsp;<b>WHO!</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0065-01186/9999768-1-eng-US/f0065-012.jpg" title="f0065-01" width="523" height="642"></div><p><i>&ldquo;I led the NHL with 377 PIM as a rookie. I once had six straight 200-PIM seasons.&rdquo;</i></p><p><i>&ldquo;Though I was a feared fighter, I had a 16-goal season and 10 career playoff goals.&rdquo;</i></p><p><i>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m second all-time in Detroit PIM, behind Bob Probert and ahead of Gordie Howe.&rdquo;</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0065-01

LAST MINUTE OF PLAY

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0065-0399/9999806-1-eng-US/f0065-032.jpg" title="f0065-03" width="246" height="437"></div><h2><b>MICHAEL FROLIK</b></h2><p>Michael was born in Kladno in the 1980s. Gets paid to take a regular shift on one line alongside two men.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0065-0471/9999799-1-eng-US/f0065-042.jpg" title="f0065-04" width="245" height="437"></div><h2><b>ASHTON KUTCHER</b></h2><p>Played Michael Kelso on <i>That &rsquo;70s Show</i>. Gets paid regularly to fire one-liners on <i>Two and a Half Men.</i></p><p>Email your suggestions to <b><a href="mailto:sab@thehockeynews.com">sab@thehockeynews.com</a></b></p><p>WHO AM I: JOEY KOCUR<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0065-03

Separated AT BIRTH

<div class="byline">By Larry Humber</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0065-02" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0065-02134/9999837-1-eng-US/f0065-022.jpg"></div><p><b>ANSWERS AVAILABLE IN THE NEXT ISSUE AND AT <a href="http://THN.com/XWORD">THN.com/XWORD</a></b></p><h2><b>ACROSS</b></h2><p>1 Pretending to be tripped</p><p>4 Nathan ___, pictured, hoisted Cup as a Bruin</p><p>9 Gerard ___ is now coach in Florida</p><p>10 Abbreviated nickname of Quebec&rsquo;s old NHL team</p><p>11 Joe Louis is one</p><p>12 There&rsquo;s a junior team in Rouyn-___</p><p>13 Canadian Amateur Hockey Association: abbr.</p><p>15 Roch Carrier&rsquo;s <i>The Hockey Sweater</i> is one</p><p>18 Stir things up</p><p>21 Well rested</p><p>23 Uncovered</p><p>24 Taylor Hall was ___ first overall in 2010</p><p>25 Keen hockey sense</p><p>26 Ken ___ won Olympic gold and a Cup in 1980</p><h2><b>DOWN</b></h2><p>1 Ex-Ranger Ron ___ was also a model</p><p>2 Former blueliner ___ Siren</p><p>3 The Sabres play at First ___ Center</p><p>5 Mike Ilitch is Detroit&rsquo;s</p><p>6 Where Wendel wore the &lsquo;C&rsquo;</p><p>7 Uniondale&rsquo;s ___ Coliseum</p><p>8 Canuck great ___ Smyl</p><p>14 State that got NHL hockey in 1996</p><p>15 Patrick Kane&rsquo;s hometown</p><p>16 Where Lindy Ruff coaches now</p><p>17 Follow an opponent very closely</p><p>19 A free ___ is not tied down</p><p>20 Former Flame and Blue ___ Beers</p><p>22 Go in</p><p><b>LAST ISSUE&rsquo;S CROSSWORD SOLUTION ACROSS</b> 1. SCOTIA, 4. HOWARD, 9. LEADERS, 10. HUBER, 11. CHARA, 12. O&rsquo;REILLY, 13. SKID, 15. CONN, 18. EXPRESS, 21. NOLAN, 23. SUTER, 24. CLAPPER, 25. LAROSE, 26. YELLOW <b>DOWN</b> 1. SELECT, 2. OMAHA, 3. IRELAND, 5. OSHIE, 6. ALBELIN, 7. DARRYL, 8. ESPO, 14. KOPITAR, 15. CAN NAME, 16. KESSEL, 17. ANDREW, 19. EXPOS, 20. SACK, 22. LUPUL<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0065-02

CROSSWORD

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MATT LARKIN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0065-0548/9999868-1-eng-US/f0065-052.jpg" title="f0065-05" width="866" height="887"></div><h2><b>DEVAN DUBNYK | ARIZONA COYOTES</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he 6-foot-6 Dubnyk is nicknamed &lsquo;Giraffe,&rsquo; and the long-necked herbivores are staples on his masks. This Dave Gunnarsson design honors Arizona by dressing a pair of giraffes as legendary deputy sheriff Wyatt Earp and his faithful friend &lsquo;Doc&rsquo; Holliday.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0065-05

Behind THE MASK

<div class="byline">&#x2013; RYAN KENNEDY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0065-0635/9999899-1-eng-US/f0065-062.jpg" title="f0065-06" width="548" height="676"></div><p>Sweaters from this era are tough to find, but this gem from Classic Auctions was well worth the wait.</p><p>The Eskimos played in the old Western Canada League, and this particular jersey belonged to Norm &lsquo;Chubby&rsquo; Scott. Not only is it sweet to see the bright teal and green colors on this relic, but the overall design itself is cool. The slanted logo on the front stands out, and the stripes are pretty decent on the arms. As an added bonus, the stains on the front indicate that this sweater saw a lot of action back in the day.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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