Of all sports, hockey is most well known for violence and fighting. Players skate around at very high speeds, holding long wooden sticks and trying to shoot a disc into a goal. One of the major aspects of the game is hitting or checking, which players use as a way to slow down opponents. Any athlete can attest to the fact that during sports, emotions run high and sometimes words get exchanged that result in fighting. 

In most professional sports, brawls result in ejection from the game. In the National Hockey League (NHL), players generally do not get ejected for fighting, but in amateur and high school games, players do get punished for fighting. Players in the professional leagues should be mature enough to handle violence, and in extenuating circumstances, players face fines or suspension for their actions.

Fans of hockey enjoy fights. Although at the end of a tie-game fans would be pretty annoyed at players for fighting, in a blowout or an unimportant game the action adds excitement and thrill. Fights have been a part of hockey since its beginning, and to remove such a long-standing tradition from hockey would disappoint many hockey purists.

Some hockey players are recruited for their speed, others for their skills in shooting, some for defense, but also some are enforcers, players who are good at fighting. Fights often occur after cheap shots to star players. In this way, hockey fights are actually a way for players to police themselves, so instead of referees punishing players, enforcers control the game.

Fights in sports are inevitable, but in most sports bench-clearing brawls lead to ejection and delay in the game. Unlike in other sports, in hockey players on the sidelines or coaches never get involved in fights. This helps limit injuries, and makes for a more controlled fighting environment. Players show a great amount of respect to their opponents while fighting, and follow a strict etiquette. Players never use dirty tactics and they value honor in fighting above all else. 

Although to many fighting in sports may seem too violent and brutal, fights are essential to hockey. Brawls in hockey serve as a system for players to police themselves, and are dictated by a strict etiquette, keeping them controlled. They have been a part of the sport from the beginning, and add excitement to a great sport. For this reason, fighting in hockey must stay legal.