Viewing fighting as a safety issue in light of increasing concussion research, and unwilling to wait for the National Hockey League to propose changes, USA Hockey and Hockey Canada are seriously considering rules that would effectively end fighting in nonprofessional leagues as soon as next season…USA Hockey’s chief medical director, Michael Stuart, has consistently argued that no serious move to minimize concussions in hockey can be made without reducing fighting. As if to demonstrate how complex and ingrained the issue is, one of Stuart’s sons, Mark, is a relatively frequent fighter for the N.H.L.’s Winnipeg Jets.

NY Times, by John Branch, 02/28/2012

Tags: chief medical director, concussion research, end fighting in nonprofessional leagues, Hockey Canada, Michael Stuart, National Hockey League, Sports Medicine, USA Hockey, Winnipeg Jets