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NHL Fighting Majors At 15-Year Low

The NHL deserves criticism for a lot of its administrative decisions, from the way it handles sexual abuse allegations, to the way it goes about changing some of its rules. But I think the league deserves some credit for fostering a drop-off in fighting that has lead to fighting being at its lowest rate in over 15 years.

Over the last decade or so, the league has gradually increased the penalties for different types of fighting infractions. These days, players not only have to have jerseys tied, they have to have their helmets on, and additional match penalties are now assessed for a number of different reasons, including if a fighter injures or cuts another player.