Exactly. People complain about NBA and NFL players but hockey players are a bunch of thugs.

The NHL better get their shit together and establish some order before all of their star players are out of the league with brain damage.

Thugs? Do you watch hockey? The only reason people see thuggish behavior is because of stories blown out of proportion or piss poor journalism trying to make something out of a common occurrance. For the most part hockey has become a highly skilled and exciting sport with players like Crosby, Malkin, Datsyuk, Ovechkin, Lidstrom, Tavares, and Stamkos. Guys who play, not fight or mug it up. You will see fights every so often...its part of the game we love, but things like the Islander/Penguin game or Gillies a few nights ago are rare. The real problem in the eyes of the fans is officiating. If the refs called the game fairly and called penaties like they are cited in the rules...not trying to make the outcome of the game more exciting or favored towards some teams, it would be a level playing field and goons would be relegated to having to play a skilled game. Look at teams like Phoenix, Detroit, Los Angeles, Chicago...all skilled, exciting teams that you dont see fighting much but are as exciting to watch as anything.

Never watched hockey, did you? Its pretty clear from comments like this.

It has nothing to do with order. Its a rough, contact sport. And its extremely fast paced. The only people in the wrong for that hit were the engineers who designed the arena and put a solid, 90 degree wall along the boards.

It has nothing to do with thugs. Chara hit him clean, and the man got hurt badly. Does it suck? Sure does. Even Chara called to pacioretti and apologized, and even Paciorretti came out and said Chara did nothing wrong, and it was an accident, period.

As far as 'without fighting, nobody would watch', that too is bullshit. It may be true in southern USA football country, but up in Northern USA and Canada, its a beloved sport, not because of violence, but because of the skill, speed, strength and endurance it takes to play the game.

Shit happens. You guys are as bad as the bleeding heart crybaby's up here who want to ban any form of contact from the game.