I Knew It

Fear not Ultimate Fighting On Ice fans, Colin Campbell was just on the Hockey Night In Canada pre-game show and basically admitted "the question" is just pro forma.

Colin Campbell himself basically said that there's no real movement to take fighting out of hockey but that the NHL "has to ask the question" in what really amounts to a PR move. But rest assured UFOI Fans, your precious fighting will remain and the NHL will continue to be niche sport whose niche is growing smaller and smaller.

I'm not surprised. I thought this is why the NHL was opening up the question in the first place and the fact that there is no real desire to remove the sideshow violence comes as even less of a surprise. Though it is amazing to me to watch these past 24 hours. Folks who have no love for the brand of hockey that the NHL puts forward seemed to be willing to give the NHL the benefit of the doubt on this issue; should the NHL had actually been serious about trying to clean up the game.

But "the old guard" prevailed. Furthermore, Campbell said that Gary Bettman has never said anything to him about taking fighting out of the game. So my advice to you UFOI fans is quit complaining. It is clear as day that the NHL isn't going to anything about fighting and cleaning up the sport. You've won the day and your fears that "the game you love" will be further and forever ruined by the likes of Bettman are clearly unfounded.