lhousesoccer Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 (edited) . Edited August 12, 2014 by vtbass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uglyfish Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 sorry... i still dont buy it. lots of guys have made a living fighting in the NHL and havent killed themselves. and theres really no excuse to kill yourself, its a selfish act. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIFTER_016 Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 I don't buy it either. I would expect to see boxers, MMA and pro football competitors to be killing themselves all over the place if stress and brain injuries were to blame. More likely is depression and substance abuse because they were not happy with their lives and hardly getting to play the game they loved growing up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhousesoccer Posted January 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 (edited) . Edited August 12, 2014 by vtbass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhousesoccer Posted January 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 (edited) . Edited August 12, 2014 by vtbass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rizzo Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 has it been confirmed that Belak committed suicide? I had heard a different tale of the events Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rizzo Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 and many people in this world take their own lives. The fact that a couple of tough guys do it in the same year I believe is purely coincidental, nothing to do with the job. If it had to do with the job these guys would have been killing themselves years ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uglyfish Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 No doubt it's a selfish act, but when you read about what these guys go through and what's expected of them as enforcers, it's a little more insight, at least for me, as to how someone to us who seemingly "has it all" can actually be a very unhappy, depressed person. It opened my eyes a little more. these enforcers are not all there strictly to fight for one shift a game, true they play less minutes, but its because they play the skilled players more to try and win the games. most of these enforcers arent there just to fight, they are there mostly to spark energy into their teams, through a hit filled shift. putting constant pressure on the opposing players, and throwing a few hits. a fight, can spark your team, but can also boost the other teams energy too. the fights we typically see are in response to a hit or play in the game. fighting is, was and always will be a part of hockey. after reading that article, i didnt like the way they portrayed fighters in hockey. just seemed like they were trying to hype it up more then it is, as another excuse to try and remove fighting from hockey. looks at the league now, and most of the enforcers, if not all, serve a bigger role on their teams then just fighting. they are there as protection for star players, for energy, and most of them contribute to the offense as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garnet Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 Arthritis and the medical community are more likely. Belak retired because arthritis and our doctors only help is Suck it up butter cup. Mine is suppose to be mild! can't wait for till it gets bad! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhousesoccer Posted January 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 (edited) . Edited August 12, 2014 by vtbass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tdel Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 Man, there's some cold, cold people on this board!! The message I took away from this article is that I don't think any of us can really know or understand what it must be like to be an NHL player whose primary purpose is to go out and hurt another player. It must take quite an emotional toll on the guy. For some reason when suicide is mentioned on this board most don't have any compassion for their fellow man at all. I really don't understand how people can be so kind and loving when a pet dies, even a pet they have never seen or known but has no feeling for a person who obviously has serious problems that overwhelm them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uglyfish Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 For some reason when suicide is mentioned on this board most don't have any compassion for their fellow man at all. I really don't understand how people can be so kind and loving when a pet dies, even a pet they have never seen or known but has no feeling for a person who obviously has serious problems that overwhelm them. Everyone has a personal point of view on things. I didn't say I have no compassion. I feel for his wife and kids, that's a horrible thing to go through, and to try and explain to young children. I have known people that killed themselves, or friends that had a close family member kill themself. And your heart goes out to the ones they left behind. But I have no compassion for someone who takes their own life. There is no good reason or excuse for it. Like I said, its a selfish act and only compounds the problem more for the ones left to deal with it. I suffer from depression, its not something I talk about or post on my chest. Like most, I bottle it up and deal with it in my own ways, and I've gotten as low as u can get with it. But u deal and bounce back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillM Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 Lots of assumptions being made, for those saying a NHL enforcers job isn't stressful, perhaps they should tell us about their experience playing in the NHL? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uglyfish Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 Never said it wasn't stressful. But, is it anymore stressful then being a pro goalie, expected to make all the saves, big and small to keep ur team in the game. Or more stressful then a defenseman expected to clear the front of the net and block shots, or the star players upfront paid big bucks and are expected to score 40+ goals and 100+ points each year. Or the coach or GM who has to bring in the personel they think will help the team win, and decide how much they should be paid, and how to set the lines, who stays and goes? Is it anymore stressful then the rest of the jobs in the NHL? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillM Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 You don't think going into every single game knowing you're going to fight someone is more stressful them just keeping the front of the net clear? LOL ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uglyfish Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 Its a job, like any other. If u don't like ur job, quit. Find something else to do. And they don't fight every game. Being an "enforcer" isn't just about fighting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillM Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 Its a job, like any other. If u don't like ur job, quit. Find something else to do. And they don't fight every game. Being an "enforcer" isn't just about fighting. Like I said, until you've been there it's pretty easy to sit behind a computer screen and judge them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rizzo Posted January 24, 2012 Report Share Posted January 24, 2012 If u don't like ur job, quit Words to live by, and I'm not speaking specifically about the situation being discussed here. So many people complain in the workplace about their job. Stop complaining and go find something better!...or maybe you're actually the problem and the workplace really isn't that bad! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live2fish85 Posted January 24, 2012 Report Share Posted January 24, 2012 I don't buy it either. Think about all the boxers out there that haven't killed themselves. I agree with the head hits and them doing the damage with the way the game is now but not the fighting. It is a cowardly thing to do. I think its more things that were bothering them they couldn't deal with. Some people are just to cowardly to deal with the real world and it is easier to kill yourself in there messed up minds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harrison Posted January 24, 2012 Report Share Posted January 24, 2012 (edited) I doubt highly it was the pressures of the "job". There is usually underlying reasons/problems for the way things turn out. These so called "enforcers" can and would skate circles around an average hockey player. Most started out as above average players who's roles changed depending on the team they were with and the quality of the other players.. I never did play the role of an enforcer but I do remember vividly the first time a coach told me to forget about the puck. That stung big time. Edited January 24, 2012 by Harrison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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