Natuurlijk wel, even een klein tekstje:
Why Drop the Gloves?
For the most part, fighters are in the league to "protect the skill players" — pugilists serve to keep the peace. For the league to thrive, smaller but talented stars like Anaheim's Paul Kariya and the Florida Panthers' Pavel Bure must be allowed the freedom to skate, pass, and shoot without the fear of being blindsided or slashed by a 6'4", 220 pound defenseman. With an "enforcer" keeping watch, players tend to think twice before taking liberties with these stars.
Kariya missed most of the 1997-98 season after suffering a concussion, thanks to a vicious cross-check to the face following a goal. Teammate and fellow star Teemu Selanne also missed time that season due to injury, and the team missed the playoffs.
To prevent this from happening again, Anaheim bulked up by signing long-time and well-respected fighter Stu Grimson, a.k.a "The Grim Reaper." In 1998-99, Selanne and Kariya ranked No. 2 and 3 in the scoring race, Grimson was in the top 25 in penalty minutes, and their team finished above .500 and earned a playoff berth.
Selanne recently told The Hockey News, "Just having him in the lineup, the other team knows they can't do any dirty things. Opponents can play hard, they can play tough, but they have to play clean."