Quote:
Originally Posted by WillardJFredricks
If the rules weren't so strict he'd just grab anyone who did something dirty and beat on them, but of course if he did that he'd never play again. It's tough for an enforcer, especially one as tough as Boogaard, to do their jobs anymore.
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Agreed. This isn't the game that Gretzky and Mario played. There was a time when you were either expected to be able to handle yourself or you'd have your team pay a guy to watch your back. It was an interesting dimension, something that really set hockey apart from the other professional sports. I'm pretty meh on enforcers and staged fights these days, but I do fervently wish that the league would drop this instigator BS and let the chips fall where they may. You wanna fight? Fine. Fight anyone you want, just like they did in the good old days. If you do something stupid, watch your back because big mean people will be looking for you and coincidental 5s aren't going to stop them from bloodying your face. You could turtle, but then even your home fans boo you. Ahh, the good old days.