# why aren't hockey fights more vicious? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 14, 2007, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-hockey-fights-more-vicious/429977 "2007-12-14T07:53:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-hockey-fights-more-vicious/429977/21 "2007-12-14T21:32:18Z")
The OP hasn’t actually been precisely answered in one place, so I’ll do it; Hockey players don’t use skates and sticks to fight because if they do, they will be suspended or banned from the league. Simple fighting is merely an in-game penalty; fighting with weapons results in very serious repercussions. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-hockey-fights-more-vicious/429977/22 "2007-12-14T22:14:34Z")
[QUOTE=Leaffan] [Dave Schultz?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Schultz_%28ice_hockey%29) [/QUOTE] Yeah, I always get his first name wrong. It’s Dave who played for Philly, not Phil who played for the Davis Cup. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2007, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-hockey-fights-more-vicious/429977/23 "2007-12-14T23:34:53Z")
[QUOTE=Anchuldigs] why aren’t hockey fights more vicious? [/QUOTE] Because they banned Bowie Knives from the ice. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Tenebras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@Tenebras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenebras)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2007, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-hockey-fights-more-vicious/429977/24 "2007-12-15T00:57:54Z")
Actually, **Bosda** , they call them ice skates. In 1989 Clint Malarchuk very nearly died after he got his neck sliced open by a skate. There’s a series of three videos on YouTube. The first one is here: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/plvKlnguJVE/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGF4gWyhlMA8=&rs=AOn4CLDN3GdMjBO0VU8Rw3Z5YOEtunLO8w "Clint Malarchuk Neck Injury Full Video- 1 of 3") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plvKlnguJVE) ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2007, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-hockey-fights-more-vicious/429977/25 "2007-12-15T00:58:16Z")
[QUOTE=Lemur866] Thing is, hockey fights aren’t two out of control guys trying to kill each other. It’s two guys fighting. And hockey fighting has rules, both written and unwritten. [/QUOTE] In fact [sometimes it’s quite gentlemanly](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvIK-FLJgn4) . 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2007, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-hockey-fights-more-vicious/429977/26 "2007-12-15T18:11:23Z")
[QUOTE=Cyberhwk] In fact [sometimes it’s quite gentlemanly](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvIK-FLJgn4) [/QUOTE] I was looking for that clip — thanks for dredging it up. ---
**Author:** ![Anchuldigs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Anchuldigs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anchuldigs)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2007, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-hockey-fights-more-vicious/429977/27 "2007-12-16T02:28:06Z")
I’ve seen some fights where the opponents seem not to give a flying hoot for convention. where they literally must be pulled apart. it is those situations to which i refer. i mean, once a guy loses his cool like that what prevents him from going all out? ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2007, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-hockey-fights-more-vicious/429977/28 "2007-12-16T20:39:03Z")
Because they’re not psychotic and don’t actually want to kill their opponent? ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2007, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-hockey-fights-more-vicious/429977/29 "2007-12-16T21:41:57Z")
[QUOTE=Leaffan] [Dave Schultz?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Schultz_%28ice_hockey%29) [/QUOTE] Calling him “Phil” was what really made him drop the gloves and go at it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![yearsofstatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/779978/32.png) [@yearsofstatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yearsofstatic)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2007, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-hockey-fights-more-vicious/429977/30 "2007-12-16T23:11:38Z")
The nasty stuff doesn’t happen during the fights usually. For example: [Chris Simon Slashes Ryan Hollweg](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dHzSzexrb0) And this just happened last night. Chris Simon again. . . [Chris Simon Stomping on Rutuu’s Ankle](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hKeVb_G-PI) As has been mentioned already, fighting tends to have rules, so nasty stuff doesn’t happen that often. Although this year seems to have been pretty nasty with dirty hits, etc. I hope Simon gets his ass thrown from the league. And I’m an Islanders fan. There’s no room for that crap in pro hockey. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-hockey-fights-more-vicious/429977/31 "2007-12-17T01:08:27Z")
To sum up, they fight because it’s fun, and they don’t use weapons because that isn’t fun. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-hockey-fights-more-vicious/429977.md?page=1)