Steve Yzerman on fighting: 'A player should get a game misconduct'

As the 'fighting in hockey' debate flares up once again, Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman has told Darren Dreger of TSN that a more aggressive path towards eliminating fighting needs to be taken by the NHL.

Yes, I believe a player should get a game misconduct for fighting. We penalize and suspend players for making contact with the head while checking, in an effort to reduce head injuries, yet we still allow fighting. We're stuck in the middle and need to decide what kind of sport do we want to be. Either anything goes and we accept the consequences, or take the next step and eliminate fighting.

Dreger also spoke to Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford, who said "We've got to get rid of fighting, it has to go."

As Dreger notes, NHL decision makers seem concerned enough to initiate discussions at their upcoming meetings in November, especially in light of the George Parros / Colton Orr incident on opening night. However, "It's unlikely the NHLPA will endorse any radical change given the impact of such a move on the role of the enforcer."

Back in 2009, the NHLPA blocked a proposal to implement a 10-minute misconduct for players who fought immediately after a face-off, demonstrating a reluctance to curb fisticuffs in today's NHL.