In my research paper I will examine fighting in the National Hockey League (NHL) and the role of the enforcer. I will review the rules from the NHL Official Rule Book designed to protect the players, and propose how the rules could be changed to further limit fighting. I will also look at the possibility of fighting being removed from the game, and how some steps are already in place to reduce the amount of fighting. In conclusion I will summarize why I believe fighting should remain part of the game. While there is no known reason why fighting has been a part of hockey, there are some theories behind the origin of fighting in the NHL. I feel that the minimal rules in the early part of the league caused teams to use intimidation to gain control in the game. In the 1920’s the NHL began regulating fighting with the introduction of Rule 56 to the official NHL rulebook. Prior to this being implemented, players would be ejected from the game for fighting. Rule 56 introduced a five minute major penalty for each player involved in a fight or physical altercation. Later on, minor and junior leagues in North America would adopt this rule. (Bernstein, 2006). In today’s game fighting is used by players to police themselves, or to motivate or empower teammates. A fight can set the tone or swing momentum at any time, and more often than not the enforcers are the most popular among fans and teammates. Rule 56 has since been replaced with Rule 46 which includes 22 sub rules, to include Instigator penalties, Third Man In, and Aggressor penalties and more. “46.1 Fighting – A fight shall be deemed to have occurred when at least one player (or goalkeeper) punches or attempts to punch an opponent repeatedly or when two players wrestle in such a manner as to make it difficult for the Linesmen to intervene and separate the combatants.” – (NHL Official Rule Book). Discretion is key to how hockey officials police games in the NHL. To deter players from future fights, and to keep control, officials may give one team an extra two minute minor penalty (for roughing), that then gives the other team a man advantage. Fighting rules are mostly used to regulate fighting rather than to minimize them. The Canadian minor league held similar fighting rules to the NHL until recently. With an objective to minimize fighting, and to produce more skilled players, the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) recently imposed further fines and suspensions to players who are involved in ten or more fights during a season. Players involved in ten or more fights are subject to fines, as well as fines for the club they play for (Naylor, 2012). The NHL will be monitoring this change to see the results in the hopes that this may help to develop more skilled players in the future. Fighting in hockey has, and still is evolving. In the late 1960’s Philadelphia was awarded an NHL expansion team. After four early postseason exits they were having difficulty keeping up with other teams physically. As a result they drafted more aggressive and tougher players, names like Bobby Clarke, Andre Dupont, Gary Dornhoefer, and David William "The Hammer" Schultz (who holds the NHL record for most penalty minutes in a single season with 472). These players were key members of the famous Broad Street Bullies, a nickname for a team that used intimidation, size and fighting as a way to physically dominate their opponent. They soon won two Stanley Cup championship trophies. (Broad Street Bullies, 2010) Today, NHL clubs are looking for all round players, players who can score goals, pass the puck and fight when needed. These kinds of players are becoming more frequent and more desired with names like Milan Lucic, Scott Hartnell, Jarome Iginla, and Dustin Byfuglien. The role of the enforcer is still current in the game, even though they do seem to be diminishing in numbers. Every year there are still the big name enforcers out there. The enforcer’s role became more frequent when Wayne Greztky joined the league in the 1979-1980 season. He is the all-time leading goal scorer of the game. Enforcers like Dave Semenko and Marty McSorley were employed for the sole purpose of protecting Wayne Greztky from opposing players, giving him space on the ice to work. A great online definition of an Ice Hockey Enforcers is ‘to deter and respond to dirty or violent play by