Weekly Links: Boycotting the Sochi Games?; Ratner to redevelop Islanders’ arena; Devils get new ownership; Rick Rypien’s legacy

After a one year hiatus, Hockey in Society’s Weekly Links post returns! 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…

“One punch away from being out of the NHL” – Jim Thomson

On (Canadian) Thanksgiving CBC News aired a timely special with Mark Kelly called “Hockey’s Hard Hits”.  In this one hour “investigative report” Kelly interviews former NHL enforcers Jim Thomson, Jimmy Mann and Chris Nilan while also delving into fighting, head shots and Ken Dryden’s expertise. Jim Thomson offers a very candid recounting of how he…

Hockey Violence, the “Code” and Don Cherry’s Brilliantly Deceptive Apology

Update (10:08pm): Earlier today Grimson, Nilan and Thomson released a statement thanking Cherry and announcing that they accept his apology [Globe & Mail] Update (10:19pm): Grimson released a separate, strongly worded statement criticizing the discourse around hockey violence and questioning the role of the CBC in facilitating the promotion of Cherry’s viewpoints [Puck Daddy] Another…

Arron Asham and the Impossible Hockey Fight

By Simon Darnell What Arron Asham did was ‘classless.’ This is according to no less an authority than Arron Asham. After knocking out Jay Beagle with a vicious (but fairly standard) haymaker in an NHL fight on Thursday, Asham issued an immediate mea culpa after the game. His apology made reference to the way that…