Ice in our Blood and Blood on our Ice

Ice in our Blood and Blood on our Ice

"I went to a fight the other night and a hockey game broke out." Rodney Dangerfield. Ever since the start to the game of hockey, violence has always played a role in the sport. While that role both contributing positive and negative aspects to the game, violence has taken its toll on not only the players but the fans as well. As violence in hockey is as many fans say part of the game and what makes “hockey” hockey, the negative outcomes overweigh the positive. From fights to brawls, slashes to high sticks, boarding to head contact the violence surrounds the entire game. As fans cheer and rant at their full potential when a fight breaks out during a hockey
Overall, the conclusion that violence and game attendance have a strong correlation can clearly be seen, as majorities of fan bases, both American and Canadian based, enjoy and encourage the violence to occur.
With all the social acceptance of violence in hockey and the promotion, incentives and encouragement within the game, it is only correspondent that injuries, lawsuits and even deaths have occurred over the years. The only way to fix this problem is with the courts enforcing and stopping the violence from occurring in the first place. However, this is not the case, as the courts have failed on numerous accounts to adequately address the problem, only in the long run making it worse as it continues. With Charges under the Criminal Code ranging from stick-related manslaughter in 1905, to assault by spitting in 1985, numerous cases have passed through the Canadian Halls of Justice. Even though the assault-by-spitting case may appear relatively inconsequential, a very clear message has persisted for 80 years: some players, regardless of their motives, are not prepared to accept criminal acts or despicable behaviour in hockey. Even with the seriousness of manslaughter already present, players have still continued through the decades to commit indictable offenses against other players

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