The NHL has taken measures to reduce fighting around the league, but Drew Doughty doesn’t want to see it eliminated from the game altogether.
When giving his assessment of the Los Angeles Kings‘ 2-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks Thursday night, Doughty pointed to the mid-game scrap between Kings defenceman Kurtis MacDermid and Ducks winger Nick Deslauriers that served as the spark the Kings needed to eventually close out the victory.
“I think the highlight for me is [MacDermid] chuckin’ ’em with Deslauriers — that was a great fight,” Doughty told L.A. Kings Live reporter Carrlyn Bathe during a post-game interview. “Got us really pumped up and we were able to get the win.”
It was quite the fight — evenly matched, with both players consenting to the scrap and both also serving five-minute fighting majors after officials eventually intervened. When asked about the momentum swing brought in by the fight, Doughty said “we need fighting” in the game.
“It can’t make its way out of the league,” Doughty told Bathe. “We need fighting. I know people don’t like it, some of you, but then you’re just going to have all those meatheads running around, little guys being rats out there, and that’s just the way it’s going to go.”
“So we need fighting. People need to be able to protect their teammates and themselves,” he continued. “When it’s safe like that and no one gets hurt, that’s the best way.”
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