Brandon Prust explains why players fight

Punching your best friend in the face a few times a week will do wonders for your career. But only if you happen to be a hockey enforcer. When I was an 18-year-old kid in the Ontario Hockey League, I had a big problem. I was a walk-on for the London Knights and I wasn’t as good as the skill players, but I also wasn’t much of a fighter. I realized that I had to add something to my game in order to stand out.

First I tried lining guys up for big hits. The problem was I’d be instantly jumped by the tough guys. After a few times of having my lunch served to me, I turned to my best friend Chris Bane for some advice. Chris also happened to be our enforcer.

I said something like, “Hey bud, I’m really thinking about being a fighter. How do I do that?”

He was like, “Well, you get your ass beat a couple times and then hopefully you figure it out.”