The Hockey News: Ken Campbell's blog: THN.com Blog: Clean hitters shouldn’t be forced to fight

THN.com Blog: Clean hitters shouldn’t be forced to fight

Tyler Sloan of the Washington Capitals had to drop the mitts with Rene Bourque after laying a clean hit on Daymond Langkow during an Oct. 21 game in Calgary. (Photo by Gerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images)

Ken Campbell
2008-10-22 13:31:00

Those who often lament the NHL becoming the “No Hitting League” – hey, I don’t see it either – should take guys like Rene Bourque and Alexandre Picard and slap them upside the head.

This is getting ridiculous. How do you expect to have hitting in the game when the player delivering a clean hit has to worry about being jumped and pummeled by some idiot who is hell-bent on revenge? No matter what you think about fighting in hockey, the increasing number of fights that come on the heels of clean hits are ridiculous.

After all, aren’t enforcers – and all players for that matter - supposed to live by “the code?” Nobody has ever fully explained “the code” to me, but I have to think part of it suggests these guys are all man enough to pick themselves up after a clean hit. These boneheads justify what they do by saying that you can’t allow guys to “take liberties” with your top players.

Whaaa? Exactly where in the NHL rulebook does it state that good players are immune from clean hits? You’re not supposed to let the other team score goals either, but you don’t start jumping on your opponents and beat them every time your team is scored on.

It happened twice in games Tuesday night. In the game between Calgary and Washington, Tyler Sloan of the Capitals laid Daymond Langkow out with a clean hit, then was attacked by Bourque of the Flames. How referees Chris Lee and Bill McCreary could possibly see fit not to call an aggressor penalty boggles the mind.

It also flies in the face of all those people who think the NHL should get rid of the instigator rule. Having it certainly didn’t stop Bourque from attacking Sloan and it didn’t prompt either referee to make the right call.

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Then in the Columbus-Vancouver game, Kevin Bieksa tattooed Nikita Filatov with a clean open-ice hit and Picard threw his gloves off. He then got the beating he deserved for being such a bonehead.

Last weekend when Kurt Sauer knocked Andrei Kostitsyn out of the lineup with a concussion, Tom Kostopoulos went after Sauer and fought him. The hit by Sauer was debatable, which prompted the fight. I get that, largely because players often feel the league can’t properly police the game and they must take matters into their own hands. They’re absolutely right about that. Sad, but true.

But after the game, Georges Laraque of the Canadiens said it doesn’t matter if a hit is “clean or dirty,” somebody has to take on Sauer in that situation.

The only problem is, that kind of attitude runs counter to everything that’s noble in hockey. Yes, it does matter if the hit is clean. It’s part of the game, just like scoring goals and killing penalties.

If NHL players are going to hold themselves up as the standard bearers of internal fortitude and honor, maybe they should start acting as though they really believe it.

Take the hit and move on.

Ken Campbell is a senior writer for The Hockey News and a regular contributor to THN.com. His blog appears Wednesday and Fridays and his column, Campbell's Cuts, appears Mondays.

For more great profiles, news and views from the world of hockey, Subscribe to The Hockey News magazine.

COMMENTS (46)

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J McNulty Posted
(2009-04-30 07:19:13)

It's all about intimidation. That's all. If you don't intimidate the opposition, they'll walk all over you. That intimidation factor is the reason Yzerman had Probert. It's why Gretzky had McSorley. Why Orr had O'Reilly and Jonathan. Why Clarke had Schultz. Why Hull had Twist and Chase. Why Trottier had Gillies and Nystrom. Why Crosby had Laraque and how has Godard. Why Lemieux had... Well, Jay Caulfield may not be the best example. The best players almost always had the best bodyguards with them. If you don't want to see players trying to intimidate each other on the ice with physical play, then don't watch. Leave the sport the way it is and always has been.

Louis Posted
(2009-04-30 07:15:47)

There is very little sportsmanship in the NHL these days. Everytime I see a clean, hard-hitting check it is unevitably followed by a clown seeking retribution. There's too many stupid "unwritten rules" in this circus sideshow that the NHL permits.

BobCobb Posted
(2009-04-30 07:13:55)

Drinkingpartner, I'm not disagreeing with you but I want to point out that Geno can take a hit. He's not crying he just doesn't know why Ovy is after him. As for Sid, he's chippy at times--I'm not going to pretend he wants any part of a fight, but if some goon gets mad and takes him out he'll set the whole league back 5 years in trying to gain some international respectability. What's hockey without physicality? S-O-C-C-E-R. Nobody wants that. But what's hockey without 2 heavyweights who are paid to fight each other because nobody else wants to loose perfectly good teeth? A great game that's plenty rough as it is. Keep the hard hits and the protection of teammates through legal intimidation. Loose the goons and the CODE and the "purists." Get on board with the THN campaign to stop goons from embarrassing the NHL and chasing away big-money sponsors and advertisers and networks. And one more thing while I'm up on my soapbox - a penalty is a penalty. Call it, ref. Don't pretend you know better and that sometimes it's ok to tackle or cheapshot somebody (like late in the third or anytime in the playoffs). Just call it. If you call it consistently, there will be consequences and it won't happen as much and we can all watch a hockey game instead of a wrestling match. Here's a hint - if Ruutu or Hartnell are in the vicinity, it was a penalty. Send 'em to the bin.

Patrick Posted
(2009-04-30 07:13:39)

This might be the first time I've ever agreed with Ken, but he is spot on with this one. Checking is part of the game. If you make a clean hit on a player why should you be forced to take take punches to the face. If the hit is dirty than I am all for it. If you can't take a hit then you probably don't belong in the NHL. Checking is the disciplined and withing the rules way of getting revenge on a player. Running around puching people for playing within the rules of the game is just embarrassing. Kudos to the ref's for making the right call on Bourque.

K-GAR Posted
(2009-04-30 07:13:38)

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly you can prove that the mouth actually does work quicker than the brain, Campbell. First off, maybe you should be the one to go slap Bourque and Picard in the head for their actions. Secondly, when you're done crying maybe you'll pay more attention to things, the code, if you're going to run a teams skilled player then you've got to be prepared to ante up afterward and just be thankful that it's not Probert or Nilan straightening you out, it's the law of the jungle , if you don't like it I've got a suggestion for you, Figure skating, real intense and no violence. Sounds like it's right up your alley Ken. Maybe you should try playing hockey before you criticize it!

Erik4 Posted
(2009-04-30 07:13:26)

Perhaps Daymond Langkow should keep his head up to begin with. Washington got a 9 minute powerplay out of Bourques stupidity. He hurt his team more so then did he stick up for his teammate. Fighting is a part of the game but some players like Bourque are just boneheads who should be given a short (1 or 2 game) suspension for his actions.

Grant44 Posted
(2009-04-30 07:13:10)

I think Ovy is a terrific player but he's gonna come out on the wrong end of one of his end-board flight-patterns sooner or later. His disdain for Geno is puzzling - he's more concerned w/ hitting him than scoring goals vs the Pens. I don't think you'd hear any star complaining about a clean hit. It's the extra stickwork or elbows that needs to be dealt with when a star is targeted.

Knuckledragger Posted
(2009-04-30 07:13:10)

I always disagree with Campbell on his feelings about fighting in hockey. I don't think I like the man, at all. He writes negatively consistently. I'm a Flames fan. I agree with this piece, and was peeved with Rene Bourque. The hit by Sloan was BEAUTIFUL and clean and exciting. Langkow's a big (alberta) boy, he doesn't need Bourque to come to his aide. I love hitting in hockey. A clean hit is to be admired, not met with retribution. If Bourque wants to get even, hit Sloan with a big clean hit. That's what guys are doing looking to see who hit them, is they are "taking down the number" and storing the retribution for the future. Bourque (and remember, I am a lifelong Flames fan...) should get a short suspension... the message has to be delivered. Passionate, timely, heat-of-the-moment Fighting is great, as is the "policing" after dirty hits, or repeated non-calls...but this post-(clean)-hit punch-up stuff is bull.

Maxime Posted
(2009-04-30 07:13:09)

Drinkingpartner, obviously you don't get the point. I'm all up for a good clean hit on Crosby every once in awhile. But if nobody comes to his aid, the other team is going to keep it up. I agree, Ovie can take and give hits. But constently?

D. Mass Posted
(2009-04-30 07:13:07)

I never understood the need to fight after a clean hit. This is the price to pay for not keeping your head up. Do people go beat up police officers after getting a speeding ticket? You weren't paying attention, you got hit hard, you move on. I've played at decent level (NCAA) and I've been on both ends of clean hard hits. When I got hit, I got up, took his number and got him back (legally) the next shift. When I laid someone out, I knew a hit was coming at some point during the game. That's the way hockey should be played. I'm glad the refs threw the book at Bourque. Next time he want to run at someone like he did, maybe he'll think about the consequences. I'm a Habs fan and I'm happy he's here. But still, fighting after a hit has no place in the game. Heck, the hit on AKos was questionable (I say it was legal), but if Andrei was looking up instead of looking at the puck, that hit would have never happened.

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