Fighting in hockey

The art of fighting in hockey is an established aspect of the game. Though there is criticism of fighting in the sport it cannot be argued that as of right now it is a major aspect of the game. Right now most teams have a player or players on their roster who are known strictly as the enforcers or goons who are paid to make sure the teams top players are safely able to play the game they wish. There is a "code" that is in place by the players who fight but it is not always followed which is when injuries and problems arise.
Physical contact is an allowed and practiced part of the game of hockey and during the game because of physical contact, fighting allows for players to release this intensity without more discipline handed out then a five minute penalty. Without the ability to fight in the game there would be more devastating actions that would lead to injuries, and the players who give the injuries would not have to worry about any actions taken against them by the other players. The only thing they'd have to worry about is another serious injury that they would get from a dirty hit by another player. With fighting in the game if a player is injured by a dirty hit, a fight is more then often going to ensue. There is a sense of solidarity between teammates so they all know that their teammate have their back.
There are many supporters out there that would like fighting to be banned from the sport. Fighting itself does lead to injuries. According to Canadian Academy of Sports Medicine “Fighting does cause injuries, which range from fractures of the hands and face to lacerations and eye injuries. At present, it is an endemic and ritualized blot on the reputation of the North American game.” A school board member from London, Ontario attended a London Knights game and was appalled at the reaction from the fans during the game to the number of fights that occured. He then gained support in an effort to ban fighting from the OHL. There is only one known death that is directly related to fighting in hockey