Since the origins of the game we call hockey, physicality has been important to fans and important to players. Demonstrating courage to your teammates, but above all to yourself, was practically a rite of passage on the ice. As the game has changed and skilled players dominate the sport, violence and brutality have seemingly lost their place on the track. The purpose of this article will be to highlight the good, bad and ugly sides of violence in hockey and determine its relevance to the modern game. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay While often viewed negatively, there are many positive connotations associated with violence and physicality in the realm of hockey. Early on, these traits developed a culture and identity for the sport and helped popularize the game. Long before anyone could make a paycheck or career in hockey, the game was played for sport and community pride. Helmets were still a figment of the imagination, and players regularly risked their health by stepping on the ice. Blocking shots, cutting, fighting and roughing were all part of the courage you demonstrated towards yourself, your teammates and your opponents. This type of game also attracted a lot of crowds and hype. When World War I broke out, the game's fierce and camaraderie aspects had mentally prepared the enlisted players. Players discovered that many values ​​on the ice were transferable to the battlefield and vice versa. The often violent game of hockey was applauded by many who saw it as a reliable and necessary guardian of masculinity and military preparedness. Upon returning, the Canadian soldiers felt the physicality of hockey filled a void in their lives. Some still tormented by the war, played to feel alive. Others, who returned a longing purpose and lost the war, played for the camaraderie of battle. Playing hockey reacclimated players to their communities and built a social structure for veterans. Sometimes the nature of the game, as well as the nature of the players, led to fighting, throwing shots and relieving all the stress of life on the ice. In the grand scheme of things, without anyone dying or being mortally wounded, rough play was a positive outlet for these soldiers and the rest of society. Economically, violence contributed greatly to the commercialization of hockey. Television broadcast deals, increased revenues, and overall popularity of leagues like the NHL can be attributed in part to the physicality of the game. Historically, people have watched hockey for a few simple reasons: to appreciate the craft, to cheer for a team, and to have the chance to see grown men throw a handball. A lot of energy and crowd involvement would come from the contact, and fans would stand up if a fight broke out. An enticing game with the added bonus of violence sold more tickets and sold the sport in many different markets, allowing the league to expand. As the old hockey saying goes, “I went to a fight the other night and a hockey game broke out.” Gordie Howe, Canadian icon and one of the most beloved players in history, coined what has become known as the "Gordie Howe hat trick," in which a player scores a goal, receives an assist and gets into a fight in the same game. Fighting and violence were celebrated aspects of hockey and contributed to the overall mythology and culture of the sport. The following is an excerpt from aarticle, detailing the famous 2012 Penguins/Flyers playoff matchup and the impact of the violence on TV that postseason. ratings. "With growing concern about concussions and concussive impacts in the game, amplified by Sidney Crosby's persistent issues and the deaths of three high-profile agents last summer, you might think that hard things have shown that these playoffs would be detrimental for the health of the game, leading fans to turn off and tune out. That hasn't been the case; along with the violence, ratings in the playoffs are up, a lot up of 2.3 overnight — a 77% increase over comparable coverage in 2011 and NBC's best ratings for a playoff game since 2006. Hockey fans seem to be intrinsically drawn to the Western showdown Conference, in the same round of the Predators/Red Wings playoffs, it turned out to be no different. The NHL fined Shea Weber a staggering $2,500 for bouncing Henrik Zetterberg's melon like a basketball off the glass. Predators bench boss Barry Trotz publicly praised the spectacle, and the team's promotions department released a celebratory video of the head-to-head and dubbed the workout "Webbering." This shows that even in recent years, violence attracts the largest audience and earns praise from fans, coaches and players. It cannot be argued that it has helped the growth of the game, but at this stage violence in hockey could be considered a primitive tactic that is hindering further development. As significant as it is to the history of the sport, there are many negative impacts of violence in hockey. Repeated physical trauma takes a toll on players, both mentally and physically. Torn ligaments, concussions, nerve damage and nagging injuries plague many current and former players. This affects one's physical state, but also his mental state. Your quality of life changes when you constantly suffer from pain or discomfort. Concussions have always existed, but until recently they were diagnosed only in the most serious cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines a sports-related concussion as a “traumatic brain injury, caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head that can change the way the brain normally works ". We now know that you don't have to faint to have a concussion. In previous generations this was not the case. Even if players were knocked out or diagnosed with concussions, most would return to the ice within a week and in rare cases even return in the same game. The CDC recommends that if, after a blow to the head or shock, symptoms of confusion, complaints of headache or dizziness, vomiting, or blurred vision occur, the affected player should be removed from the game and taken for immediate medical attention. The evaluation and monitoring of injuries of this nature have become one of the most important issues regarding contact sports. Unfortunately, the speed and flow of the game makes it nearly impossible to prevent these types of injuries. That said, steps have been made in the right direction in terms of diagnosing and managing these head injuries, with computerized tests and dark room sessions. The age at which players are exposed to the potential for these injuries is another conflict of interest. A 2011 study conducted by the "Canadian Medical Association Journal" noted the growing problem of concussions in youth hockey and stated that thegreater number of injuries are linked to body control. Getting hit in the head is not good at any age, but it is especially dangerous when children are involved. Young athletes who play contact sports put themselves at significantly greater risk of developing CTE. Published studies suggest that head injuries sustained before age 12 are associated with worse outcomes than those sustained after age 12. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a degenerative brain disease found in athletes, military veterans, and other people with a history of repetitive brain disorders. trauma. The disease releases an excess protein called Tau, which slowly forms masses that spread throughout the brain, killing brain cells. The disease has been seen in adolescents as young as 17, but symptoms generally do not begin to appear until years after the onset of head impact. Sustaining concussions at a young age is harmful not only because the brain is developing, but also because it leaves a lot of time to receive more overwhelming blows. Stackable (multiple) concussions are a leading cause of permanent brain damage. The physical and mental toll on the body is the real downside of violence in gaming. Historically, violence in hockey has been good for the growth of the game, bad for player health, and sometimes downright bad for everyone involved. The good side makes us love the thrill and appreciate the ferocity; the negative side makes us challenge the rules and nature of the action; the ugly side makes us completely question the merits and culture of this sport. Some of the most obvious examples include deaths on the ice as a result of violent actions, crimes, riots, and lawsuits. Unfortunately, there have been more than 10 documented cases of death resulting from ice accidents. The first dates back to 1905, when Alcide Laurin of Maxville, Ontario, was hit with a stick in the temple and pronounced dead on the ice, and more recently in 2013, when Russian winger Dmitri Uchaykin died of a brain hemorrhage after suffering a severe blow in Kazakhstan. Hockey championship playoffs. While it occurs very rarely, it puts the game into perspective when you think about the risks involved. Riots and crimes committed by fans in both celebratory and spiteful scenarios have also stained the history of the sport. The game of hockey is in no way responsible for the conduct of its fans or individuals off the ice, but it has been suggested there are times when in-game violence can result in rowdy fans. M. Lewis, head professor of sociology at Kent State University in Ohio, is a leader in the study of fan violence in sports. He specializes in examining large-scale incidents that frequently occur during playoffs in major North American sports. Hockey's contribution includes the 2011 Vancouver riot which resulted in more than $4 million in property damage, theft and vandalism. It also includes celebratory riots, such as the one that accompanied the Canadiens' Cup victory in 1993, as well as smaller-scale incidents such as the one in Chicago following the Blackhawks' 2013 Cup triumph. Lewis concluded that during these incidents, fans (often young males) behave like players of the team for which they share a strong identification. These disturbances involving fans are commonly unplanned acts in which emotions overflow or are misdirected. Violence on the ice also had criminal implications. There have been bad incidents involving players from youth organizations all the way up to professional leagues. Notable cases include Todd Bertuzzi punching Steve Moore from behind, breaking him.