The pound-for-pound, main-event type fights have certainly been disappearing from the NHL as the emphasis on speed and skill has increased.
Since 2008-09, the amount of fights has mostly dropped with the fights-per-game that season (0.60) well above the 0.28 average from last season.
But the act still exists – particularly as a tool to shift momentum, and that scenario seems to be how the Coyotes’ Ryan White has found himself dropping the gloves this season.
“Sometimes it just drags your whole team into it a little bit of battle, too,” White said. “You see one guy fight you don’t have to fight, but it kind of brings up your ante, too.