Some people say that a hockey fight doesn't belong in the NHL. They are wrong. Nothing gets the crowd out of their seats like NHL fights and it is an important part of the game as well.

It's a physical, high-contact sport and you need tough guys to keep the game honest. You need the fighters to straighten out guys who play dirty with their sticks and deliver cheap shots.

The players are tough, that is why they play hockey, and they don't mind standing up for themselves or their teammates. Even though not all players have to be in a hockey fight (like the big goal scorers etc.) most of them don't mind a broken nose or bloody knuckles in NHL fights.

There are many good reasons to start a hockey fight. It can be a way of intimidation when an opponent pick on your star player and you need to straighten him out. Another reason can be to gain momentum when your team is down. NHL fights always get the emotions flowing and that can change the outcome of a game.

Sometimes you also see a hockey fight as a way for retaliation or revenge. Retaliation can be used when someone intentionally injures your players and revenge can be the reason when two tough guys fight each other. For example, some enforcers fight each other in every game and they want revenge for their last loss.

Just as you need skills to be a great skater or scorer, you need skills to be good at NHL fights. Without the proper technique it's also easy to get hurt and that is nothing we want (or do we? :)

The best way to protect yourself is to grab your opponent around the elbow so that he can't hit you. Having your legs wide will give you more balance and more power in your punches. A right hand fighter should always try to have his right arm free so he can punch. If the opponent gets his right hand free, you protect yourself from uppercuts by turning your head to the right. You protect yourself from hooks by turning your head down so he hits your helmet while you keep your eyes on him, ready to fight back. That is how you win a hockey fight.

The guys who show up every night and protect their teammates are doing a tough job and they deserve everyone's respect. I love it and whether you consider it violence or not, you can't say that you don't get excited when you watch a hockey fight.

In the early days of the NHL very few fighters could skate and score (of course they could, you know what I mean), but today a fighter has to know how to play the game. Most of today's tough guys are actually very good players and they know a lot more than how to win a fight.