Detroit — It is a trend the Red Wings are happy to buck.
While fighting continues long trend of decline in the NHL, the Wings believe occasional fisticuffs unite a roster in transition and makes it tougher to play.
In a previous era, when bigger, slower players were allowed by rules and their enforcement to clutch and grab, brute force established space. Now, comparatively smaller, fleet-of-foot players dash around open ice, deploying their skills.
Increasingly, in recent years, teams seek pace, not muscle.
And, so it is that players like Tie Domi, Dave “Tiger” Williams, Chris Nilan, Bob Probert, Joe Kocur and Craig Berube, all so-called enforcers of yesteryear, find little room on NHL rosters.