Former National Hockey League forward Stu Grimson has 270 career NHL fights to his name, one of the best nicknames in hockey history (The Grim Reaper), and an informed opinion on the state of fighting in the game, via the Denver Post.
In the article, Grimson explains that he would support the banishment of fighting, if he believed the game no longer needed it, but despite acknowledging the sport's evolution, doesn't think the use of fists has lost its significance.
"There was a day when the tougher team was most often the team that prevailed. Today, that seems to be the exception, not the rule," Grimson wrote. "If you want to ban fighting, do it for that reason. Ban fighting because the game has outgrown it. But I'm not convinced it has."
He cites player protection, and the motivation of teammates as the two most prominent precursors -- both of which improve the game -- but admits the act is slowly being marginalized, with up to two-thirds of teams opting against even employing an enforcer.
Grimson maintains that fighters don't need to be saved from themselves, as their duties are fully accepted, defined and understood, and believes their presence is vital in the policing of the game.
"The presence of an enforcer keeps the other team honest. The opposition is far less likely to take liberties with your team when you have an enforcer. And think of it this way: If the ultimate goal is to reduce trauma to the head, the threat of a fight is one tool in a small basket of tools the NHL has at its disposal to curb that sort of behavior. The enforcer, just like a ref on the ice, acts as a deterrent. If a player knows he has to answer to George Parros when he acts up, he's far more likely to keep his elbows tucked in."
