European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 26, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                By John Kreiser and Ken Rappoport associated Pressi d rather see two Guys fight than swing  this opinion by the Toronto Maple Leafs de Olczyk seems to be the prevailing thinking of players in regard to fighting in the National hockey league. Reacting to Wayne Gretzky s recent remark that fighting should be banned from hockey More nil players seem to lean the other Way. The majority opinion subscribes to the safety valve theory As expressed by Montreal canadians Veteran defens Eman Larry Robinson. Honestly speaking if you take fighting out of the game totally Guys Are going to get a lot More frustrated and they won t have any Way of relieving their frustrations Robinson said. It usually leads to something else More  Gretzky the All Star Center for the los Angeles Kings got a Rise out of players with his stand that the nil would be better off without fighting. People for the most part Are surprised that the people have not Woken up about fighting Gretzky said. Ninety percent of the people i be talked to in the nil agree with me. Most players and most coaches agree. There Are Only a few people who Don t agree with  Gretzky who never spoke out against fighting while playing for the Edmonton oilers said that after moving to a team in the United states he realized the Public perception of hockey is distorted by fighting. I believe it will have to be eliminated he said. Over the last 20 years the image has gotten so bad that americans particularly in California have developed a bad image of the sport because of  two Guys Aren t really going to Hurt themselves that bad if they drop the gloves on skates Robinson counters. The fights Don t last that Long anyway. And so what if you take a Bop on the nose or a Bop in the Eye i think it s a safety valve. Otherwise people would use their  nil president John Ziegler said that the acts of attempt to injure Are Down in the league mainly because in the last 10 years there s been More legislation to deter the practice to take the brawling the multiple fights and the violent use of the stick out of the game than in the 63 years of the National hockey league history before  Ziegler does t think there will be a Quick fix to the fighting Issue. When you re coming Down to fighting you re coming Down to an Issue that has been debated in the league for probably 73 years he said. That will be debated More. It s debated every year. The customer is buying our product he added. He s not rejecting it. And under those circumstances you always have to be a Little cautious about How dramatically you change your  Winnipeg jets defens Eman Doug Smail is another player who disagrees with Gretzky. I think fans look Forward to fights Smail says. I know i m a fan and when i watch to i look Forward to that aspect of the game. It s part of the game. That s the Way it  for los Angeles defens Eman Steve Duchesne the practice of intimidation however is something else. I Don t think putting goons on the ice to try to scare people should be allowed in the league he says. I m strictly against it. A fight is a fight but i Don t think you should put someone on the ice to scare the other  other players Are ambivalent. I hate to lean one Way or the other oilers defens Eman Kevin Lowe says. At times it fighting hurts our image in the United states particularly in the South. But the fans in Canada have Learned to expect it. They be tried to ban fighting in College and it brought Back the  Detroit s Steve Yzerman said a simple Rule could put a big Dent in the fighting. Just give a game misconduct for anybody in a fight. They have it that Way in other sports. Why should hockey be different Page 16 the stars and stripes violent North Star Mark Tinardi hammers the devils Steve Rooney during a recent game at East Rutherford . Some players say fighting is a  sunday february 26,1989