BOSTON — Fighting long has been a part of hockey, and Brad Marchand thinks it should remain in the game.
There have been plenty of memorable fights in the NHL since the beginning of time. And while there are fans out there who think it has no place in hockey, others like Marchand and Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty believe otherwise.
Earlier this week, Doughty said fighting “can’t make its way out of the league,” per Yahoo! Sports Canada.
“It can’t make its way out of the league,” Doughty said. “We need fighting. I know people don’t like it, some of you, but then you’re just going to have all those meatheads running around, little guys being rats out there, and that’s just the way it’s going to go.”
Ahead of the Kings’ game against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden, Marchand briefly met with reporters and was asked about Doughty’s comment. Marchand agreed with his opponent, but had to give a little humor with his answer.
“Does he even have a fight?,” he asked. “I’m sure he wasn’t talking about me.
“I do agree,” Marchand added. “I think especially if they want to continue to have American’s interested in the game. A lot of people that I talk to about the game, especially down south, all they care about is the fighting. That’s what they look forward to, so I think you’ll lose a lot of people over that.”
So, will Marchand or Doughty drop the gloves tonight? Find out when the puck drops at 7 p.m. ET.
