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Campbell's Cuts: Will grave fighting injury serve as wake-up call?

Ryan Hollweg of the Maple Leafs fights with Nate Thompson of the Islanders. (Photo by Graig Abel/NHLI via Getty Images)

Ken Campbell
2008-12-15 15:25:00

It was a hockey fight that started the way thousands of others have over the years, but it ended with a 21-year-old fighting for his life in a Hamilton hospital.

The fact the fight took place in the backwaters of senior hockey in Ontario will undoubtedly prompt some to dismiss it as a one-time accident, largely because that's what it was. But it has long been the opinion of this corner that it is only a matter of time before an NHL player dies as the result of a hockey fight and only then, maybe, will the game do something about fighting.

Because of a hockey fight, the parents of Don Sanderson of the Whitby Dunlops are sitting by their son's bed in a Hamilton hospital wondering when, or if, their son is ever going to wake up. After one surgery and some 60 hours after his fight with Corey Fulton of the Brantford Blast last Friday night, Sanderson was still in a coma. The only progress he had made as of Monday morning, according to the Dunlops team website, was that there was some movement in his fingers, but it was inconclusive whether it was voluntary or involuntary.

Those who saw the fight said it was pretty innocuous before Sanderson and Fulton began exchanging punches. With the Dunlops leading 4-2 at the 2:18 mark of the third period in a game they went on to win 5-2, the two players, according to one web account, “dealt each other a flurry of punches.” Sanderson's helmet came off and he hit the back of his head on the ice.

“It was nothing the way it started, just a tussle between two players,” said Blast owner-GM Peter Ham. “Under normal circumstances, the two guys would have just skated away.”

The fight occurred in a Major League Hockey game, which was formerly the Ontario Senior League. The six-team league is a haven for players who still want to play a high level of hockey, but have given up on the dream and are now pursuing full-time careers outside the game.

It is important to note that Major League Hockey follows the same rules as every other amateur league in the Ontario Hockey Association and punishes fighting with an automatic ejection. In fact, the OHA is one of the only branches in Canada that does not eject a player only after his second fight. However, that hasn't stopped the league from having 20 fights in its first 47 games this season. The league also doles out a one-game suspension for instigating a fight, but has called that penalty only twice this season.

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Also, headshots are an automatic major penalty and two-game suspension.

“There really isn't much fighting in the league - it's a league of skill and finesse,” Ham said. “We have a lot of guys who have returned from the pros and they left the pros for a reason. They don't want to go into work with black eyes and bleeding lips and broken bones.”

“We protect our athletes,” said Don Robertson, the league's chairman of the board and owner of the Dundas Real McCoys. “We've been able to attract some quality players to this league and a big part of it is because of the rules that you fight and you're gone.”

They are right about it being a finesse league. In 47 games this season, the league has averaged 10.2 goals per game, but it would be wrong to suggest that it's lily white.

There are still tough guys who do their fair share of fighting and two of them were involved in the fateful fight last Friday night. In fact, the fight against Fulton was Sanderson's fourth of the season in just 11 games, meaning he has participated in 20 percent of all the league's fights this season. For Fulton, it was his third fighting major in just his fifth game of the season. Both players are 21 and both have NHL size. Sanderson is 6-foot-2, 200 pounds and Fulton is 6-foot-3, 210 pounds.

So, here we have a tragic situation because of fighting in a league where there's almost no fighting and everyone goes back to work or school the next day. Is there any doubt the day is coming when a tragedy will occur in a league where players are bigger and stronger and have a lot more at stake when it comes to fighting?

Just another warning for the NHL, another warning that it undoubtedly won't heed until one of its players finds himself in the same situation as Don Sanderson. Even then, I'm not so sure the NHL will do anything about it.

Carry on then…

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 (62)

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Mark Faustin Posted
(2009-04-30 07:34:36)

I'd like to send my heart felt condolences to the Sanderson family who lost there son in this tragedy. My two part question that I have is 1) will this story make the national media, and 2) will Gary Bettmen take any measures to prevent something like this from happening in the NHL?

Mike Posted
(2009-04-30 07:34:25)

Sadly now, Don Sanderson has passed away from injuries sustained during the hockey fight. It is no longer a matter of what could potentially happen, but what has happened. There will be much debate, I'm sure.

Realist Posted
(2009-04-30 07:31:44)

For all the posters that say taking fighting out of the game will ruin it, ask yourselves this.... Why is it that fighting is nearly non existent in playoffs and the ends of close games? How about the Olympics? Do these games not need 'policing'? Of course, that's assuming that fighting has some role in keeping the peace. Unfortunately, that argument falls flat when you consider that fights usually involve goons fighting goons, and almost is always unrelated to any meaningful event in the game... I think fighting is entertaining and provides some gainful employment to some wannabe hockey players, but to argue that it is essential or even a productive part of the game is sillier than Don Cherry's pyjamas.

JC Thomas Posted
(2009-04-30 07:31:20)

Ken, Ken, Ken....get over it. Fighting in hockey is here to stay. And like boxing, there will always be the risk that someone someday will be seriously hurt or killed, not on purpose, but incidentally or accidentally. Taking fighting out of hockey is impossible and only opens the door to more serious problems like we're already seeing with the removal of the instigator rule. Guys don't respect each other anymore and cowards take liberties with their sticks and hits to the head. If players cannot police themselves to some degree, then you have dirty, chippy hockey with frustrations increasing 100 fold. Take fighting out and then you'd better be worried about more stick swinging and spearing incidents etc. What then Ken? Ban sticks??? Where does it stop then?

mike c Posted
(2009-04-30 07:31:09)

Yeah, yeah Ken Campbell doesn't like fighting blah, blah. This is a tragedy and an isolated incident, my heart goes out to all involved. That said fighters in the NHL know what they're doing I just read somw quotes from Andrew Peters talking about his various techniques for falling during a fight. I don't think this will happen in the NHL. Besides I don't see nealy as many fights as I did when I was a kid even when I go to AHL games here in Albany. Find something more interesting to write about!

Jason Posted
(2009-04-30 07:30:08)

Perhaps professional hockey should starts laying rubber mats on the ice since that is a hard surface and someone could fall down and get hurt. They should also make the players wear thier skate guards all of the time, since those are sharp and dangerous as well. Pansies like this guy would kill the passion and excitement of the game if they had thier way. It is too bad that a player was seriously injured, but the players understand the dangers of the game and still love getting out there.

Ryan :D Posted
(2009-04-30 07:30:06)

This article should be about Don Sanderson, who instead is buried in the third paragraph. It doesn't matter what your opinion on fighting is (you, reading this, not just Ken), what does matter is that a young man in fighting for his life thanks to a freak accident. Shame on Ken for doing the ambulance chaser routine to trivialize the injury to Don Sanderson in order to write his four-thousandth article on how he doesn't like fighting. Our thoughts and prayers should be with the Sandersons right now.

Dan Alekseyanov Posted
(2009-04-30 07:30:05)

I have been through alot of "head Hunting" and Face plants. while playing with the QSPHL. Before it became the LNAH. Back then the Hits to the head were very common. along with your Opponent's trying to Ram your head into the ice. (Zebras would never attempt to stop it. With out Getting Injuried.) Only way to stop it. was protect yourself. or Send him to the Hospital First. Now back then, they didnt have the rules that then do now in the LNAH. They didnt care if you showed up Drunk as a skunk. or Half Baked. as long as you made it there. I watched the Game of Don Sanderson. and Yes the NHL and other Leagues need to Do something about this. Because were going to start seeing alot of Player who rather Wrestle a guy down to the ice. and get a head injury. rather than take a old fashion Whooping. Example:Zdeno Chara, And non-Fighting players. by the way.. i am only 28yrs. old.. I was forced into Retirement.

Flake Posted
(2009-04-30 07:29:58)

If the NHL bans hitting or fighting, then the NFL has to ban tackling because someone can possibly get injured during a tackle. Make sense? Didn't think so....

tim Posted
(2009-04-30 07:29:57)

Surprise! KC doesn't like fighting! Must have been a difficult childhood...anyway, why don't we let the players decide, it's their heads on the line. If they don't want to assume the risks that go with fighting then they should keep their gloves on or stay on the bench.