As I write it is July of 2011 and hockey is in the free-agent frenzy period. But there are some aspects of hockey many fans enjoy all-year round and one is looking at videos of hockey fights. There are hundreds of hockey fights to see both online on sites that deliver clips of vintage hockey fights and update current fights during the season, and off-line, in the form of videos on hockey fights.
In today's hockey fights market there are many online sites devoted entirely to showing clips of great hockey fights, classics featuring clips of hockey fights in many categories. On some sites, like maniacworld/hockeyfights there are classic brawls included from the days when brawls were commonplace, and not just in the NHL.
Hockey Fights and Hockey Brawls Once Common in Junior Hockey
Brawling was a feature of junior hockey in the 80s and earlier and that climate was at least in part responsible for the most famous junior brawl ever, the Punch Up in Piestany at the 1987 Junior Championship in Piestany, Czechoslovakia. The brawl saw tournament officials try turning out the lights to stop it and both teams were thrown out of the tournament. Theo Fleury, Mike Keane and Brendan Shanahan for Canada and Sergei Fedorov, Alexander Mogilny and Vladimir Konstantinov for the Soviets were there.
"I'd be surprised if there was any of us whose (junior) team had not been in a bench-clearing," junior team member Scott Metcalfe told writer Gare Joyce in Joyce's book about the brawl. "I'm not saying it was a good thing, but it was just part of junior hockey at the time." You can see that hockey brawl at many sites including blogs.thescore.com.
Online Sites Devoted to Latest in Hockey Fights
One popular site with clips of past fights and that updates new hockey fights is hockeyfights.com. While the site also offers news from around hockey it's stock-in-trade is hockey fights. On hockeyfights.com you can wander through lists of teams in the NHL, the KHL, ECHL and other leagues to find out who does the fighting on what team and how many majors that team has earned this season, or in previous seasons.
Hockey Fights Videos - Great Hockey Fights, Great Hockey Fighters
When it comes to purchasing hockey fights videos there is a great selection. You can get videos that focus on just one player, such as Donald Brashear: Best Fights and Brawls '92-02 or George Laraque Best Career Fights 93-06. For hockey fight fans it's illuminating to see the progression of an NHL fighter as you watch their fights in the league sequentially from their rookie year to their veteran years when they've established themselves as a hockey fighter.
Some hockey fight videos pay respect to the past such as 'Bloody on Ice Hockey Fights Footage 70, 80, 90 Volume 1'. These are hard-hitting fights as are the fights on GREATEST HOCKEY FIGHTS III (1983-89), which features fights between Bob Probert and Bob McGill, John Kordic and Jay Miller, Shayne Corson and Kim Carkner, George McPhee and Rick Tocchet and Craig Coxe and Bob Probert.
And while Don Cherry's videos don't focus on fights there are fights and all of the hard hits along with other highlights. He includes bloopers and great goals, too, and it's enjoyable to see the fights and hits mixed in with great plays. Don Cherry's Rock'em Sock'em 22 is the latest, chronicling the 2009-10 NHL season.
Classic and New Hockey Fights Videos
There are new hockey fights videos coming out during every hockey season. Some fans put together their own videos and sell online, though you want to make sure you're getting a quality hockey fight video with a clear picture and one that has either classic hockey fights or a compilation of newer hockey fights. Videos with fights from minor leagues or leagues overseas are also of great interest.
Obviously hockey fights are not the most skilled aspect of the game but over the years the enforcers have earned the respect they get. And by either looking online or buying hockey fights videos, fans of fights can look back at how fighting has evolved, comparing yesterday's hockey fights to how hockey fights look today.
It was comedian Rodney Dangerfield who said he once went to a fight and a hockey game broke out. That joke represents the feelings of many when it comes to hockey fights, of fans and many hockey detractors who think that in the NHL, and in junior hockey and other leagues, there are too many hockey fights. That attitude threatens hockey fights and the day may come when hockey fights are all but eradicated from the game.
If that ever happens online sites and hockey fights videos will be even more popular.
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