Thread: Punched Out - The Life and Death of a Hockey Enforcer / Derek Boogaard

Makes me re-think the role of the enforcer in hockey.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/sp...pagewanted=all

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/05/sp...pagewanted=all

Wow, thats a pretty powerful story. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the read. Sounds like the poor guy was cursed by his size, right from the beginning.

Frankly if you think the enforcer role has any place in modern hockey you haven't been paying attention for the last 5+years. The role of the enforcer serves no purpose now except to risk the lives and careers of people unnecessarily. My heart goes out to the families of people who's live are devastate by the changes caused by brain damage and the NHL should man up and do something about it.

Good read, but sad.
Have to agree w Maddog

Third part.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/06/sp...pagewanted=all

I never know how to feel about these. Scares the **** out of me, but I can't stop reading them. Needless to say, I haven't had near the issues any of these guys had, but it makes you wonder... at what point does it start? Is that next one going to put me in a bad position?

I really need to stop reading these. Good thing it's the last one.

If you take out the part where he gets paid millions of dollars to play hockey, it's a story that could be told by millions of kids. Rather than take fighting out of hockey, let's make sure the fighters can actually play hockey.

Originally Posted by gradin

If you take out the part where he gets paid millions of dollars to play hockey, it's a story that could be told by millions of kids. Rather than take fighting out of hockey, let's make sure the fighters can actually play hockey.

What the ? Did you read the articles? What about the health and impact on all the players that don't make the NHL or even make it? Is the price for your entertainment worth it? It's time to ban fighting.