Frank, I think you are wrong, we are most likely closer than you expect.
I played both, and a nice
clean bone jarring hit in either was a wonderful thing
Nothing like getting that running back lined up and knocking him back a few time zones, or that great shovel check into the boards!
If fighting is not against the rules, so it is part of the game in Hockey, if you changed the rules to make it a much stiffer fine, say you get booted from the game, and the next two games, it would still happen, but I think it would become rare.
Fights happen in football, soccer, baseball, and basketball, so to think they will not happen in Hockey is............?
But yes, stiffing up the rules could not hurt.
Don Cherry, come on, the guy is a total throw back Neanderthal, just take him for what he is, entertainment