Fighting in ice hockey is an established aspect of ice hockey in North America, with a long history involving many levels of amateur and professional play and including some notable individual fights. Although a definite source of criticism, it is a considerable draw for the sport, and some fans attend games primarily to see fights. Fighting is usually performed by one or more enforcers on a given hockey team and is governed by a complex system of unwritten rules that players, coaches, officials, and the media refer to as "the code". Some fights are spontaneous, while others are premeditated by the participants. While officials tolerate fighting during hockey games, they impose a variety of penalties on players who engage in fights. Unique to North American professional team sport, the National Hockey League (NHL) and most minor professional leagues in North America do not eject players outright for fighting but major European and collegiate hockey leagues do. Therefore, the vast majority of fights occur in the NHL and other North American professional leagues.
Physical play in hockey, consisting of allowed techniques such as checking and disallowed techniques such as elbowing, high sticking, and cross-checking, is inextricably linked to fighting. Broadly speaking, fighting exists in organized ice hockey to help deter overly rough play, to allow teams to protect their star players, and to create a sense of solidarity among teammates.
It is possible for players to become notable solely for their fighting ability. These players are known as "enforcers." The debate over allowing fighting in ice hockey games is ongoing, with most players, administrators, and fans favoring condoned fisticuffs. Despite its potentially negative consequences, such as heavier enforcers (or "heavyweights") knocking each other out, administrators like NHL commissioner Gary Bettman are not considering eliminating fighting from the game, since most players consider it essential. Additionally, the majority of fans oppose eliminating fights from professional hockey games. However, considerable opposition to fighting exists and efforts to eliminate it continue.
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