I’ve often wondered what the average I.Q. is on a pro hockey team. Do they fight because they can’t control their anger, or just to draw crowds to the games? Click here to watch a video on  YOU TUBE from a Manchester Monarchs game, featuring forward Kevin Westgarth punching out Philadelphia Phantoms’ Jeff Szwez. Two punches is all it took to drop Szwez. This fight is obviously not a fake.

What were these guys thinking? Or, were they thinking at all? Will the fans remember the game’s score, or the one-two punch combination?

Is the dream of every young hockey player, to become a George Foreman on the ice? Click here to watch another brawl between youth hockey teams on You Tube. Where do you think they got the idea to take swings at each other?

As hard as some of these kids swing at the padded bodies of another, I doubt they do much damage. The pros shed their gloves and helmets to land a stinger on the other, but get stopped by the referees when someone lands a punch.

Should there be stricter rules in hockey, to discourage the brawling? Or, should they be encouraged to take a swing when frustration sets in?

-Bob Hammerstrom

Tags: Bantam, fight, fighting, hockey, ice, Kevin Westgarth, league, manchester, Monarchs, penalty, Philadelphia Phantoms, pro, punch, punching, referee, Sportsmanship, video, You Tube, youth