Fight To Keep Fighting In Hockey

The commissioner of the NHL, Gary Bettman, is actively trying to get rid of fighting in hockey to make his sponsors happy. Yet, the long serving FANS of the game are trying just as hard to preserve fighting in the game we grew up loving. This petition will serve as the voice of the people in KEEPING FIGHTING IN THE GAME WE LOVE! The statistics are in our favour. Hockey was never more successful than in the 1992-1993 season. The NHL was rivaling the NFL in ratings, huge hits and fights were everywhere and Gary Bettman was yet to entire OUR league. Enter Gary Bettman. The league has been in steady decline in PAID attendance across North America. We had to endure a lockout, expansion into markets that do not work and now witness a watered down product in the name of "skill and speed". That skill and speed has come with greater stick work, more hits from behind and a great LACK OF RESPECT between players. There are two reasons for this. i) Most of the fighters of the past were North American. With the alleged "speed and skill" mandate by NHL head office (through a barrage of penalty calls that contradict this theory), a host of european players now occupy the jobs of North American hockey players. They don't know eachother like they did in the past, therefore they dont respect eachother. ii) With the instigator rule in effect, players cannot police themselves on the ice. The deterrent for a dirty play in the past was that someone from the opposing team was going to fight you. The deterrent now is a fine or possible suspension from NHL disciplinarian, Brendan Shanahan. Which would you be more fearful of, Bob Probert, Tie Domi, Donald Brashear...or the pen and paper of Mr. Shanahan?? Please send a clear message to the NHL Board of Governors; that you want fighting in the game for a host of reasons. Entertainment value is one, sure...but policing each other on the ice creates far more safety than being run from behind, a spear in the corner or a slew-foot behind the net. Please sign the petition and give Gary Bettman's agenda a black eye! FIGHT TO KEEP FIGHTING IN HOCKEY!! Thank you very much for your time.