Report: Former NHL Enforcer- “It was fun while it lasted.”

Report: Former NHL Enforcer- “It was fun while it lasted.”

It appears the role of enforcers in the NHL has come to an end. At least one former pugilist believes so. Kiss it all goodbye, according to the Vancouver Canucks' forward Tom Sestito. “It's done,” Sestito told Patrick White of The Globe and Mail. It

HockeyFeed

HockeyFeed

It appears the role of enforcers in the NHL has come to an end. At least one former pugilist believes so. Kiss it all goodbye, according to the Vancouver Canucks' forward Tom Sestito. "It's done," Sestito told Patrick White of The Globe and Mail. "It was fun while it lasted." The 27-year-old joins enforcers including Colton Orr, Frazer McLaren and Brian McGratten who are without ice time or have been put out of jobs. Enforcers have unfortunately been victims of their profession. The tragic deaths of Rick Rypien, Wade Belak and Derek Boogaard along with the NFL's $1-billion settlement for players with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative disease discovered in Boogaard's brain after his death, the amount of hockey fights has decreased not only in the NHL, but everywhere the game is played. We have seen NHL teams opt for a fourth line that employs grinders with some scoring ability as oppose to tough guys that intimidate. The debate on this subject is ongoing as fighting may be down, but cheap shots on star players are on the rise. We have seen nearly a weekly suspension with regards to a head-shot, slew-foot or any number of dangerous plays. Some believe that enforcers held these kinds of acts in check, while others maintain that enforcers have no viable use anymore. Where do you stand on the subject? Is the enforcer role a thing of the past, and if so, is it a good thing?  

Newsletter

Get the latest news and updates directly in your inbox.

Source:
HockeyFeed

Stay ahead of the game with our exclusive hockey news, analysis and insider info.

© 2025 Attraction Web S.E.C. All rights reserved.