Once upon a time, the Philadelphia Flyers were known as the “Broad Street Bullies“. Their wild and rowdy behavior delighted Philly fans and put fear into the hearts of opposing players. The classic hockey movie, Slapshot, was party inspired by the Flyers. It became part of our identity.
Over the years, the NHL has cracked down on the violence that once was. You will never see penalty minutes accrued like Dave Schultz once did. Fighting, while still common, is not like it was in the 1970s, 1980s, or 1990s. Even “dirty” hits have been cracked down on in an effort to preserve player safety.