(Karl Gehring, The Denver Post)
The Avalanche is paying Patrick Bordeleau $1 million this season to play in the minors, a prime example of why fighting in the NHL is on the decline. Heavyweight enforcers are being phased out of the game, leaving hockey's roughest stuff to authentic spur-of-the-moment battles among players who contribute in multiple ways.
For the vast majority, it's as it should be: The players fighting the most are guys who can score goals, kill penalties and even contribute on the power play.
"If he's on your team, he's going to fight," Chicago Blackhawks tough guy Bryan Bickell said of the 6-foot-6, 239-pound Bordeleau, who is goalless in 25 games with San Antonio of the American Hockey League.