Rule against dropping gloves or sticks?

[blues2112]

During "scrums", I rarely see players drop their sticks or gloves. Prohibition against doing so?

Anymore, these "scrums" juts look silly with guys hitch-slapping one another in the visor.

[Hazelwood72]

During "scrums", I rarely see players drop their sticks or gloves. Prohibition against doing so?

Anymore, these "scrums" juts look silly with guys hitch-slapping one another in the visor.

LOL. I admittedly have a warped sense of humor.

Very warped.

When I read your “hitch” slapped (and I know why you substituted hitch), I got a vision of Ken Hitchcock slapping one of the players.

Then worse yet, a vision of Alfred Hitchcock slapping a hockey player.

Then worst of all, a vision of Bruce Boudreaux slapping a player, because to me he LOOKS like Alfred Hitchcock.

Yeah. I’m warped.

[Hazelwood72]

During "scrums", I rarely see players drop their sticks or gloves. Prohibition against doing so?

Anymore, these "scrums" juts look silly with guys hitch-slapping one another in the visor.

I suspect it’s because a player runs the risk of getting 5 minutes for fighting rather than 2 or 4 minutes for roughing if he drops the gloves and the other guy doesn’t. I do remember that happening a couple of times.

[MandatoryDenial]

I have to admit I am not a big fan of the "genteel" version of hockey that we have right now. To me the fistacuffs, the hard hits, and the fast paced action was very much a part of what brought me into the sport. I wish they would stop making it "family friendly" and just leave it to its time honored traditions. Yes to safety gear, yes to making certain Scott Stevens type hits to the head were eliminated. However I would like to see the instigator rule dropped, and the role of enforcers brought back.

[STL fan in MN]

During "scrums", I rarely see players drop their sticks or gloves. Prohibition against doing so?

Anymore, these "scrums" juts look silly with guys hitch-slapping one another in the visor.

I suspect it’s because a player runs the risk of getting 5 minutes for fighting rather than 2 or 4 minutes for roughing if he drops the gloves and the other guy doesn’t. I do remember that happening a couple of times.

Yep, it’s his, not any sort of rule change or prohibition. No player wants to be the guy that leaves his team shorthanded, especially in the playoffs. The playoffs have had less fighting than the regular season since as far as I can remember.

[aslord]

I have to admit I am not a big fan of the "genteel" version of hockey that we have right now. To me the fistacuffs, the hard hits, and the fast paced action was very much a part of what brought me into the sport. I wish they would stop making it "family friendly" and just leave it to its time honored traditions. Yes to safety gear, yes to making certain Scott Stevens type hits to the head were eliminated. However I would like to see the instigator rule dropped, and the role of enforcers brought back.

ugh. hitting is an absolute necessity. Prearranged Boxing matches are not.

[Walter Sobchak00]

Geoff Courtnall famously used this trick to get the Blues a 5 minute PP and erase a 3 goal deficit against the Kings in a playoff game.

[smilinjoefission]

Geoff Courtnall famously used this trick to get the Blues a 5 minute PP and erase a 3 goal deficit against the Kings in a playoff game.

Now it would be a 5er on Courts running over Storr

[dhsux]

Seems to me there's a ton more of these lighter scrubs in the playoffs so players can express frustration and anger and make their points and try to do so without a penalty versus regular season games where the penalties not good but it's not a total disaster like it is in the playoffs

Penalty in the playoffs is one of the worst possible things you can do for your team and teammates

[leedog68]

I think they used to call a two minute minor for delay of game if one guy dropped the stick and gloves and the other didn't. I don't guess this would be the case if the scrum was already going on though.

[Blues Dave]

I agree with the possibility of the extra penalty. That and the possibility of another player taking that as a signal to go. I actually believe the rough stuff is more prevalent in these playoffs than I've seen in a while though. JMO

[PregnantNun]

During "scrums", I rarely see players drop their sticks or gloves. Prohibition against doing so?

Anymore, these "scrums" juts look silly with guys hitch-slapping one another in the visor.

In my experience, there have always been fewer fights in the playoffs relative to the regular season. One is that the enforcer types rode the bench more often. And now I think since 4th line guys are more talented and are more important contributors, taking yourself off the ice for 5 minutes is kind of a selfish move and a handicap to your team even if it is matching 5s for fighting.

[blues2112]

Thanks for the responses; they all make sense.

The Buffalo-Montreal game had as many scrums as goalies being run over.

[Hazelwood72]

During "scrums", I rarely see players drop their sticks or gloves. Prohibition against doing so?

Anymore, these "scrums" juts look silly with guys hitch-slapping one another in the visor.

In my experience, there have always been fewer fights in the playoffs relative to the regular season. One is that the enforcer types rode the bench more often. And now I think since 4th line guys are more talented and are more important contributors, taking yourself off the ice for 5 minutes is kind of a selfish move and a handicap to your team even if it is matching 5s for fighting.

A bit off topic…your screen name makes me smile because 40 years ago I knew a former Catholic priest who married a former Catholic nun. Both were originally from Ireland. They had 5 kids!

[Hazelwood72]

We older hockey fans vididly remember the “Good Friday Massacre” in Montreal. It was the Montreal Canadiens vs. Quebec Nordiques in the 2nd round of the 1984 playoffs. The game was televised in the US on either the USA Network or maybe the brand-new ESPN.

The whole series was chippy and it erupted in Game 6. At the end of the second period all he-double hockey sticks broke out. Back in those days, they had to leave the benches to get to the locker rooms. With all 44 players on the ice at once, a battle royale melee broke out. It took the officials about 45 minutes to clear it up and get the combatants to the locker rooms.

The referee, Bruce Hood, had not reported penalties to the timekeeper, so that when the players came out for the 3rd period, the players who were going to get game misconducts hadn’t been officially banished, so all of the players got back onto the ice for the 3rd period warmup and all you-know-what broke out again, because the players figured they’d get their licks in again. Then while the 2 poor overworked linemen were trying to once again restore order, Hood had finally given the timekeeper and PA announcer the list of penalties.

Fighting was STILL going on while the PA announcer was announcing all the penalties. In both French and English, of course!

I had been watching the entire game and I yelled to my wife, “Get in here, you gotta see this!!!”

Two things developed because of this incident:
1) They no longer let both teams off the bench at the end of periods if the arena didn’t have separate tunnels from the bench to the locker room.
2) Bruce Hood retired a bit prematurely. It was never stated, but it was thought that commissioner John Ziegler and the NHL advised Hood that it would be a good time to retire. (That was unfortunate, as I and most NHL players thought he was a really good ref. But one screw-up, and well….)