Why You Don’t See Fighting in Olympic Ice Hockey

Players aggressively slam opponents into the walls of the ice rink in Milan-Cortina. Players get fouled. Some get checked against the wall. Sticks slap. Some fall to the ice. But what you don’t see? Players pulling off their gloves to fight.

Players from Slovakia and Finland nearly got into a tussle, but the referees got in between them.

Why No Fighting?

Fighting is banned at the Olympics. The International Hockey Federation (IHF) prohibits it. If players engage in fighting, they will face ejection from the game.