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Welcome to Hockey in Society’s Weekly Links post. This feature highlights articles or blog entries that are related to Hockey in Society’s areas of interest and that may be of interest to the site’s readers. Please check out some of the great writing that is happening in the hockey media and blogosphere!

• Good read by Mike Leonard debunking the notion that enforcers help deter violence against other players, with an analysis of Shawn Thornton’s time with the Boston Bruins. [Stanley Cup of Chowder]
• Avi Goldberg interprets PK Subban’s relationship with Montreal Canadiens’ management and fans through the frame of generational differences. A very interesting read. [The Barnstormer]
• Chicago Blackhawks fans mobilized against the team’s sexism during its intermission activities, and the team responded by removing the offending features. [Puck Daddy]
• Adam Proteau reports that Canadian entrepreneur Arlene Dickinson has joined the board of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, which is good news for the league. [The Hockey News]

• The men’s minor league hockey structure in North America is undergoing a big overhaul that will likely see the American Hockey League expand to include a Western Conference, possibly by absorbing teams from the East Coast Hockey League, with the ECHL absorbing teams from the likely-to-fold Central Hockey League. Harrison Mooney has a good overview of the craziness. [Puck Daddy]
• A men’s beer league hockey player is facing 18-months probation for aggravated assault, for a bodycheck that occurred during a rec game. What will the effects of this case be on future incidents in recreational hockey? [National Post]
• Andrew Barroway is suing New York Islanders owner Charles Wang over a sale of the team that fell through. Dominik has a breakdown of the legal issues. [Lighthouse Hockey]
• The Anaheim Ducks have been supporting the growth of a boys’ high school hockey league in Southern California since 2008, and the league is now expanding by 13 more teams for next season. [Anaheim Ducks]
• The recent upsurge of media interest in hockey analytics, thanks to the Oiler’s hiring of blogger Tyler Dellow and Maple Leafs’ hiring of Kyle Dubas, has not necessarily represented a shift in how NHL teams use these stats – rather it simply may be a result of media paying more attention to the topic. [Sporting News]