Calling for the total banning of fighting will never happen, however by just making the penalty for fighting stricter then fighting will become more meaningful. If a guy is willing to give up playing the rest of the game just to give his team a momentum boost then even though fighting would decrease around the league when there is a fight it will be more exciting for fans, and also less dangerous for players. .
Hockey games are considered to be family friendly but with all the fighting erupting from the athletes, is it really something you want to bring your child to see? What the children are seeing on the ice is very violent, and in today's society there is a call for toned-down violence for our children. They are also being taught poor sportsmanship. You do not want your second grade soccer player to be kicked off the team for punching someone. Children that are shown that violence is acceptable are more likely to exhibit violence themselves. Children mimic everything. The NHL believes that fighting is a major attendance boost and that losing this group is not worth taking fighting away. However, if fighting was removed from hockey, more parents that are completely against fighting may begin attending the games with their children. This could increase the number of fans in the arena, and as a result, more profit. .
Critics have recently been evaluating fighting in the NHL and some have argued that there is no room in today's modern game of hockey to be worried about fighting. Foxsports.com's hockey analyst Lyle Richardson is one of these critics, he believes that fighting is "An unnecessary sideshow which detracts from the game's blend of speed, skill and toughness (Richardson, 2011)." Like most sports, hockey does not generally have a playbook. Players don't have plays to memorize and to follow, with the exception of a penalty kill. Every move the players make on the ice is something that comes from them thinking about where they need to be and when.