Like most leagues, the NHL is evolving.
And whether fans and players like it or not, fighting isn’t nearly as prominent as it once was. Fans and players have had to adapt to the new style of hockey being played in the NHL over the last decade, with speedy, more offensive play taking over the rough-and-tumble style played years ago.
The Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames gave fans a quick blast from the past when an epic brawl broke out in the final seconds of the second period of their Saturday night contest.
Former Boston Bruin and current Calgary winger Milan Lucic didn’t participate in the fight, though he certainly wished he had. After all, hockey isn’t what it was when he first entered the league in 2007.
“I don’t know what people expect. It’s not the 80s anymore,” Lucic said Monday, via Sportsnet’s Eric Francis. “You can’t just go around jumping people. If you notice, it’s pretty quiet out there when I’m on the ice. Even when I try to mix it up things cool off pretty quick. I wish I was on the ice when that stuff happened.”
It’s just a different day and age.
