First Time Fight
First Time Fight
In the National Hockey League (NHL) when a player makes a dirty move it’s common for the players to throw sticks and gloves and start a fight and settle the disagreement. But in the Professional Woman’s Hockey League (PWHL) fights are prohibited and not seen as part of the game when it is for men’s. On Thursday February 20th the Jill Saulnier from Boston Fleet and Tereza Vanisova from Ottawa Charge threw hands on the ice after a play. This is the first time in PWHL history that a fight broke out during a game each player landing solid hits but was quickly broken up by refs. Each player was given penalties for ‘roughing’ because of the fight.
With the franchise for Women’s Hockey in the United States the PWHL allowed for checking in woman’s hockey. This was seen as a big move for women’s hockey and players enjoyed being able to get more physical and show a new set of skills. Checking and fighting has been against the rules in most women’s leagues due to safety concerns. Renata Fast, Toronto defender said, “We’re strong enough. We’re fit enough to be able to play that physical game. I think if they’re able to get the game to a point where players are still protected and we’re avoiding injuries of head contact, it’s going to be great for the game and the entertainment value” (Golen).
Like Fast many argue that if the athletes are strong enough to play Hockey, then they should be able to fight if they want. Others view the fighting as a part of the game and that it draws viewers in so if the league wanted to gain more viewership the players should be allowed to fight. Now this doesn’t mean that the players will not get penalized after fighting it just means that the refs will let the fight happen then break it up right away.
Do think that Women should be allowed to fight in the PWHL like men can in the NHL?
Do you think that fights will drive viewership to the PWHL games?
Sources:
https://apnews.com/article/womens-hockey-physical-hitting-fighting-b47fbf82b349d5a2c9508964688b2119
https://nypost.com/2025/02/21/sports/womens-hockey-stars-throw-down-as-pwhls-first-fight-erupts/
Hi Lauren,
ReplyDeleteI think this was a very interesting topic! I do love a good fight in hockey; however it is interesting to consider the idea that women aren't aloud to have the same fights. I do think they should be able to, only because it does gain a lot of entertainment, and if its not wanted by the players, they don't have to engage in it. But i would love to learn more!