iN NUMBERS: Many British Columbians support NHL fighting ban

Hockey fans like it when players score, but love it when they fight. But despite the undeniable entertainment value in a boxing match on skates, a lot of British Columbians support banning fights. Even more popular than banning fighting is banning headshots to hopefully reduce serious brain injuries for players.

Here are the numbers from a Research Co. survey:

• 53: Per cent of British Columbians polled support banning fighting in professional hockey.
• 79: Per cent of British Columbians polled support banning headshots in professional hockey.
• 20: Per cent of British Columbians polled said banning fighting would be bad for professional hockey.
• 68: Per cent of British Columbians polled think the NHL is good at looking after players’ safety.
• 24: Per cent of British Columbians polled would discourage their kids from playing hockey because of violent incidents.
• 32: Per cent of British Columbians polled said they are a true hockey fan.
• 26: Per cent of British Columbians polled said professional hockey has gotten more violent over the past five years.
• 95: Per cent of NHL players end up with CTE, or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, according to a Boston University study.
• 7: Years ago former Kelowna Rocket James McEwan launched a lawsuit against the WHL, alleging he has CTE from fighting on the ice. It’s still ongoing.
• 1: Hockey fight happened at the 2026 Olympics, our good ol’ boy Tom Wilson dropped the gloves in the game against France.