I better start by saying I enjoy hockey fights. As a kid I liked watching fighters like Bob Probert, Tiger Williams, and Dave Semenko throw down. I loved the movie Slap Shot and while the violence on the ice was a bit over the top at times, I appreciate the role that enforcers play at the professional level. There is something to be said for a member of a team to willfully go over the boards to challenge the other team’s toughest guy as a way to prevent further liberties from being taken on your skill players. It is a difficult and punishing job not only to the face but also to the fists as they often have to weather a few painfully tough jabs to the hard plastic of a players’ helmet before you can start doing the real damage. The courage, that some think its pointless and or foolish quickly endears these tough guys to the fans. Nothing draws the ire of the fans more than the coward who turtles or who refuses to defend themselves and that was also portrayed in the movie. It is precisely why not a lot of fans have much respect for Matt Cooke who loves to be cheap but seldom pays the price when challenged to drop the gloves (unless it is an inexperienced skill player doing the challenging). Goons, enforcers, tough guys whatever you wish to call them do still play a role in the game whether you believe their importance is vanishing or not.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aB5TXbXqW8
Boogaard vs. the Ducks (2007 Playoffs)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0PfKSTR2g
Boogaard vs. Todd Fedoruk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHBkOsJJ3ZQ
Boogaard vs. Brian McGrattan
Boogaard vs. Wade Brookbank
Boogaard vs. Trevor Gillies
Boogaard vs. George Parros
These clips from YouTube explains it all for most Wild fans. The crowd chanting “Boo-gaard, Boo-gaard,” as it hoped to see the team’s chief enforcer Derek Boogaard enact a level of physical revenge against the Anaheim in Game 4 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals in 2007 after the Ducks’ Brad May sucker punched Kim Johnsson. Boogaard had no takers in the very next shifts of the game, but that really what became a signature of his last few seasons. After a highlight filled 2005-06 where Boogaard put on a clinic of how to obliterate most of the league’s tough guys the challenges have become far more seldom. Perhaps no fight sent fear throughout the league as much as the Todd Fedoruk fight late in the same season. After Boogaard answered an earlier challenge by Shane O’Brien where the youngster quickly realized he had bitten off more than he could chew, Fedoruk decided to restore his team’s honor and found out the hard way why you want to avoid dropping the gloves with #24. Boogaard responded to Fedoruk’s challenge by shattering his orbital bone, and requiring him to endure a painful surgery that gave him two metal plates in his face.
The message was sent, this was an enforcer who could literally endanger a player’s career with a single bone shattering punch. Luckily for Fedoruk he was able to revise his role enforcer into a grinding winger but not too many players can make such a conversion. Since the Fedoruk massacre, few fighters have been willing to drop the gloves with Boogaard. Even amongst the league’s other top heavyweights, like Georges Laraques most wanted to simply grapple rather than attempt to trade punches. With the amount of fights decreasing with each season, the influence Boogaard could have in a game was diminished. While the Saskatoon, Saskatchewan-native worked very hard to improve his skating since the team drafted him in the 7th round, 202nd Overall in 2001 his inability to provide much more than toughness steadily made him a salary cap issue. This last season, Boogaard fought just four times and at a salary of $1.25 million, that means the Wild paid him $312,500 per fight. It is not entirely his fault, but many teams have rid themselves of the enforcer role which means most nights Boogaard has no one to fight and no non-enforcer wishes to drop the gloves with an experienced pugilist like the Boogeyman. One dubious statistic haunted Boogaard, as he continues to hold the longest active goal-less streak at 222 games and counting. With the post-lockout NHL attempting to rid itself of clutching and grabbing which became prevalant in the ‘dead puck era’ the role of the enforcer has steadily been reduced and players who provide toughness must also be able to be an effective skater and help provide at least a token level of offense.
For these reasons listed above, this is why the Wild are moving in a different direction by trading a 5th round pick in this year’s draft to the San Jose Sharks for rugged right winger Brad Staubitz. Staubitz, at 6’1″ 210lbs is not nearly the physically imposing presence as Boogaard but at a salary near the league minimum he is far more of a bargain. In addition, Staubitz can play a regular shift and even chip in a minimum level of offense as evidenced by his very modest totals of 3 goals and 6 points in 47 games. The Edmonton, Alberta-native can drop the gloves but is not a proven heavyweight like Boogaard but the Wild obviously liked the cheaper salary and versatility Staubitz provides.
Yet there are some uncertainties from this change of direction. While Boogaard’s fight totals had dropped steadily, what cannot be fully counted is the fact teams seldom took liberties’ with Wild players with him in the lineup. The Edmonton Oilers’ Zach Stortini took full advantage of Boogaard’s absence late in the season, but will Staubitz be enough to prevent him from taking advantage of the Wild’s smaller players? Who knows how many possible injuries, cheap hits were prevented by teams wary of facing retribution from the league’s most feared fighter as voted by the players according to a poll done by the Hockey News. The Oilers, who were ravaged by Boogaard who injured multiple players in the 2008-09 season with big hits will probably be quite happy to see Boogaard depart. Boogaard faced criticism from some Wild fans who felt he was a complete waste of a roster spot but what they often ignored was the amount of penalties he was also able to draw from teams who tried to retaliate to the hits he freely dished out. Teams felt compelled to watch where he was on the ice because they knew he did not hesitate to throw his 250+lbs frame around. These are the intangible elements to the game that are very difficult to fully appreciate or tabulate.
While Staubitz may be cheaper, if teams take liberties and hurt Minnesota players because they do not fear his wrath then the savings in salary may be quickly offset by having to call up minor leaguers to fill spots eating up precious cap space. Without question, Boogaard’s status as a fan favorite will make it a tough pill to swallow for many Wild fans who proudly wear #24 Boogaard sweaters to each game. I have no doubt some fans will be quite angry with the organization over what will seem like a “penny pinching” move. Like it or not, there are lots of fans who love hockey fights above all else, with perhaps the lone exception of goals. Yet not all fans will be angry, and some will even say good riddance to a player they loved to criticize for his lack of hockey skill and felt his ‘fists’ did offset his limitations and inability to be used on a regular shift. Staubitz may fit the direction the Wild are going in better than Boogaard but do you want to risk losing the league’s top fighter? It all depends on what you value more. As I said Staubitz will fight and you can judge for yourself his skills as a pugilist in the links below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-AQVRND3Hc
Staubitz vs. Jordin Tootoo
Staubitz vs. Jared Boll
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GavALE-fb1
Staubitz vs. Zach Stortini
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
