Governor General David Johnston has recently outed that he believes fighting (high sticking and head shots) shouldn't be a part of the popular sport of hockey. After the recent trend of injuries in professional hockey, it is not surprising that complaints have been made involving the safety of the players. In an interview with Power & Politics, Johnston talks about his love for the sport of hockey and how important it is to Canadian culture and society.
I agree with the fact that the game of hockey is dangerous, but that's why we have referees. Penalties are given if the refs deem the hits or actions of a player were stretching the rules made by the NHL. The Governor General has a valid point, but at the same time, without big hits and plays, hockey just wouldn't be the same. Fans watch for the violence, as bad as it sounds, but that's a major point in why hockey is so popular in today's society. Keeping the players' safety in mind, it makes sense to set guidelines as to what kind of hits an opposing player can make, but taking away the violence would completely change the game. The NHL has guaranteed that they plan on doing more to insure the players' safety, but how far will they go before altering the game completely? They must keep in mind how important violence is to the game, and how without it, they will most likely lose a large majority of their fan base. It's okay to make some changes, and we all know they will. The only issue is to keep the players' safety as well as the audience in mind when they make the upcoming changes.
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