NHL Stars Visit Ireland for Charity

May: “I think what I’m most proud of is I got to wear every hat. I scored goals and made plays. But most people probably remember me as a tough guy and someone who’d stand up for his team-mates.

“Intimidation is a huge part of hockey. Fighting in hockey, people may question it, but I think it brings honour and accountability to our sport. I think it’s an absolutely vital part of the game. Otherwise, you’re skating around on a thin blade, you’re carrying a stick… if there wasn’t a deterrent from going around and hurting guys… you have to be accountable. It keeps the game safe.”

The NHL’s tolerance for vigilante justice stands, but diminishes with every concussion report.

“Yeah, I think it’ll be out of the game or minimised going forward. With everything we know about concussions and stuff. But honestly. I think if there was more fighting they’d be less concussions. It’s a self-policing environment. Four years ago, in the NHL, the year after I retired, there was a big discussion on concussion. Imagine this; 7% of reported concussions resulted from fights. At the end of the day, one is too many, but you’d never change a policy on anything based on 7%.”