NBC's Mike Milbury: 'It's time to get rid of fighting'
Former Boston Bruins defenseman and current NBC analyst Mike Milbury said on NBC Sports Network that the NHL should ban players from fighting during games.
The NHL has seen a decrease in fighting in recent years, with hockeyfights.com reporting that fights are down 36 percent since 2009, according to USA Today. Milbury, who had 76 fights during his 12-year career, said the league needs to put an end to fighting because of the dangers associated with it.
Asked on an NBC Sports Network pregame show what it means that several notable tough guys don't have NHL jobs, Milbury said: "It's telling me it's time to get rid of fighting. It's telling me it's over.
"As much as I liked a good scrap in my day, there are too many issues here involving concussions. Too many problems. Teams are going away from it. Let's grow up and get rid of it. "
The NHL regular season started with four games on Wednesday night, and two fights occurred in those games. Mike Brown and Kyle Clifford fought during the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings' season opener, while Luke Schenn and Bobby Robins dropped the gloves during the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers' game.
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- Paul Palladino