Re: Hockey
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Ottawa has this sort of dynamic with McGrattan. Spezza, Heatley, Alfredsson and Havlat are all "untouchable" if you don't want to have to deal with McGrattan. As soon as you see one of those guys take a cheap shot, the next shift McGrattan is one the ice looking to fight. You mess with Ottawa's stars, you have to deal with McGrattan. He has next to no hockey skill, but I don't think he has lost a fight yet this year. He's broken a few noses and bloodied quite a few faces already this year. He's the player that Ottawa has been looking for.
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In my opinion, this type of player has no place in the NHL now. McGratton is a thug. If Ottawa wants to be tougher, they need more guys like Heatley. This has been the difference between Ottawa & TO in the playoffs - not that our tough guy could beat up your tough guy, but that the 20 guys on the ice were tougher as a group than the Sens.
With the new salary cap, there's no place for a guy that can't help your team win games. That's why a guy like Domi is so valuable - he can fight, and has some hockey skill. Not a lot, but he's probably the best of the enforcers. NJ dumped their enforcer (Oliwa), because they had cap problems, and couldn't lock up $450,000 on a guy that had only one use.
Soon enough, I think you'll see a return to the old old time hockey, where your fighters were also valuable players. In the 60's, you dressed less players, so you couldn't have a 4th liner that just fought.
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