Violence in ice hockey

From ArticleWorld

Despite efforts at all levels, violence in ice hockey continues to be a problem that confounds the sport. For many, it is part of the game. For others, especially league executives and those who run youth and college hockey programs, it is an aspect of the sport that needs more policing. There have been rules changes in the recent past, but the National Hockey League (NHL) remains under scrutiny, including the watchful eye of law enforcement. Still, there have been a number of players who have been arrested and charged with violation of criminal statues for their rough play on the ice. And, in insolated instances, fighting on the ice has lead to career-ending injuries and even death.

A history of violence

In 1922 Sprague Cleghorn of the Hamilton Tigers, in the Hockey Hall of Fame and also on the list of most penalized (and many say dirtiest) players in the game, hit Lionel Hitchman of the Ottawa Senators in the head with his stick. Cleghorn was arrested, found guilty of assault and fined $50. In 2004, Todd Bertuzzi of the Vancouver Canucks knocked Steve Moore of the Colorado Avalanche unconscious and then drove Moore’s head. Moore ended up with two chipped vertebrae, a concussion and cuts on his face. Bertuzzi wound up pleading guilty to assault … and receiving a suspended sentence. The National Hockey League has a history of violence, with many of its greatest stars also being known for their skills as fighters. In fact, many NHL teams carried players on their rosters, often with limited scoring skills, whose primary mission was to intimidate top scorers on opposing teams and to retaliate against the opponents for doing the same. This history of violence has not infected the sport in Europe.

The worst of the worst

While the Bertuzzi incident of 2004 was the most flagrant incident of hockey violence in recent memory, it is not the only one. The league has had a number of incidents that have led to criminal charges, suspensions, the ends of careers and even a riot. These include:

1. 1927, Billy Coutu was banned from the NHL for life after he punched a referee during a Stanlley Cup game.
2. 1933, Eddie Shore leveled Ace Bailey from behind, fracturing his skull and ending his career. The benefit game on Bailey’s behalf eventually became the NHL All-Star game.
3. 1955, Maurice Richard of the Montreal Canadians was hit on the head by the Boston Bruins’ Hal Laycee. Richard retaliated and when a referee tried to break up the fight, Richard punched him; he was suspended for the rest of the season. The next year, when the league president attended a game between the Canadians and the Detroit Red Wings, fans pelted him with eggs and then began to trash the arena. The game was forfeited and $500,000 in damages done.
4. 1969, Wayne Maki and Ted Green got in a fight, which ended up fracturing Green’s skull; both players were arrested and went to court … only to be acquitted.
5. 1977, Dave “Tiger” Williams was acquitted of assault charges after hitting Dennis Owchar with his stick.
6. 1988, Dino Ciccarelli hit Luke Richardson with his stick, was convicted and spent one day in jail and paid a $1,000 fine.
7. 2000, Marty McSorley was convicted and sentenced to 18 months in jail – only to have the sentence suspended – for hitting Donald Brashear in the head with his stick.

Worst of all

In 1907, during a Federal Amateur Hockey League game, Ottawa’s Charles Masson hit Cornwall’s Owen McCourt in the head with his stick and McCourt died. Masson was charged with murder, which was reduced to manslaughter. The charge was dismissed because another Ottawa player had also hit McCourt and it was not possible to tell who delivered the fatal blow.