Do not be fooled, we do not talk about the legal, strong, well-applied body contacts which make hockey look awesome and thrilling. We are talking about dangerous, unjustified, and reckless attacks. Do not get your guts out while playing, just lay the opponent down, it will break his team and we'll win. Yikes.

Ice hockey teams that play with more violence are less likely to win, according to a scientific study released in 1999-2000, on professional sports violence conducted by the Texas Youth Commission's John Walker, M.D., and Illinois State University Health, Physical Education and Recreation Professor Steven McCaw, Ph.D.

According to Dr. Walker, the violence prevention research provides new evidence of both statistical and practical significance. "At the highest level of competition, teams playing with more violence are not more likely to win; in fact, the opposite is true." In a study of 1,462 recorded penalties from all 18 Stanley Cup championship final series from 1980 to 1997, teams playing with less violence were more likely to win and averaged more than seven more shots on goal per game than teams that played with more violence.

Over the course of a seven-game series, this would provide an additional 53 more shots on goal - more than a whole extra game's worth of shots on goal - to teams playing with less violence.

The researchers also found that losing teams demonstrated more violent player behavior early in the game, suggesting that violence was not due to the frustration of losing, but rather due to an intentional strategy possibly supported by coaches who cling to the belief that such behavior contributes to winning. Professor McCaw adds, "It may have temporary short-term success from time to time, but in the long-run, there is no shortcut to success."

On a more recent level, there has been a total of 33 suspensions served by NHL players during the 2002 regular season. A closer look at the offenses and resulting suspensions could make your hair stand on the back of your neck for a second: charging or kneeing? One game. The longest suspensions served? Ask the Canucks' Todd Bertuzzi, who has been caught against the Avs on October 15th. L.A. Kings player Adam Mair also had a 10-game suspension on December 21st, against the Ottawa Senators. Reason? They left the bench to fight.

In resume, a player who leaves a bench to fight is more severely punished than Kyle McLaren, who put Richard Zednik on a stretcher (2-3 games), the Rangers' Igor Ulanov, who cross-checked the Capitals' Steve Konowalchuk (7 games), or even the Ducks Kevin Sawyer, who attempted to injure Flames goalie Mike Vernon (5 games).

What's it all about? How can testosterone demonstrations be more condemned than obvious and deliberate assaults? Did those violent behaviors result in a place for the playoffs or a winning game? Not at all.

Ice hockey has become the fastest growing sport in many parts of the world. Professor McCaw concludes, "Although European ice hockey has evolved into a highly refined game, based on skill and finesse, the North American version of the sport is still based heavily on violence."

In terms of attendance at NHL events, corporate sponsorships, licensed sports product sales, and media coverage on television and radio, the magnitude of sport in our society has never been so dominant - and its impact is still on the rise.

Regardless of who he is, adversity on ice doesn't make an offending player be aware of the danger. Adversity only shows what kind of man is inside that player.

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