Fights bring excitement to the National Hockey League and they make it a game made for tough athletes at the same time. Many think that the fights are just to bring a bigger crowd the arena, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Fights are and will always be a big part of the National Hockey League.

A guess is that athletes of many other sports would never have put up with the level of physical contact you face in ice hockey.

The tough guys in hockey are scared of nobody and they show up every night to protect their teammates. Many of these hockey players might not be the most skilled ones, but it is a tough job they are doing.

Many non-hockey fans say that the NHL is brutal and somehow I can understand those people too.

But, brutal or not, I will always love ice hockey fights and the NHL. They are just as an important part of ice hockey as hotdogs are in baseball.