I just finished reading The Code: The Unwritten Rules of Fighting and Retaliation in the NHL by Ross Bernstein. The book discusses the history, role, and state of fighting in the NHL. Unless you've played at the NHL or Canadian Junior level, you'll probably learn something in this book about fighting in hockey. Throughout the book Bernstein claims that "The Code" exists to create space for skilled players and make players who play recklessly to be accountable for their actions. His claim is supported well by the large number of quotes and inserts he puts in his book by current and former NHL players, general managers, and owners.

By and large one of the biggest points in the book was that the NHL players police their own game. What I really wanted to learn in the book was exactly why the NHL has chosen to keep allowing this and doesn't step up the role of the game officials to keep order. The easy comparison to make are leagues like the NBA and NFL where there is no fighting and the officials keep everything in order. Bernstein makes the argument that there is too much subtle stick-work and aggressive play for the officials to catch in the NHL. He also argues that unlike the NFL, NHL players don't have full face shields. Because of this, players are kept in line because they must face a punch in the face if they get out of line. I'm not sure I buy in to all that. I'd like to think that the NHL officials could call a tighter game if they were ordered to by the league. The league has just chosen not to do so.

One thing I learned was how much of an impact the "Instigator" penalty has had on the game since 1992. Basically a player who initiates a fight with another player who does not want to fight is awarded the Instigator penalty - and causes their team to be short-handed. As a result, the only fights you typically see these days are between two enforcers and it's often pre-medidated. Before 1992, if a player made a cheap shot, they would need to be held accountable for their actions on the spot and may have to fight. That doesn't happen any more, and Bernstein argues that as a result players are able to be overly aggressive and dangerous without having to be held accountable for their actions. There is no longer any fear of retaliation in the NHL because of the Instigator penalty. Again, why not step up NHL officiating to address the scrappy play instead?

Another good part of the book was the detailed analysis of the Bertuzzi incident. Bernstein explains the entire incident and goes beyond what we've all heard in the media. The chain of events leading up to the incident aren't known well.

It was a good read because I enjoyed getting the background and reasoning for why there is fighting in the NHL. I wish the book focused a little more on why the league lets the players keep policing their own game. I'm guessing it's because that's how it's always been done - the NHL has a lot of stubborn traditionalists running things. I'd recommend the book if you're a hockey fan, or anybody who wants a very good perspective on fighting in the NHL.

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