Derek Boogaard of the Minnesota Wild held a camp in Saskatchuwan for teaching young players (14 and older) how to handle themselves and some techniques should they be in a hockey fight.

I have heard some levels of feed back for that were both for and against his camp. I open up this forum to see what you think of his "Fight Camp."

Do you think it was a good idea?
Is it good for young players?
What effect do you think it has on the league?
Other opinions?
I should reiterate this point - Boogaard is not teaching kids to fight nor teaching them how to fight. The camp is teaching kids technique, and how to survive a on the ice should they get into a fight.
Correction: 12 to 18 year olds

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Teaching them how to fight just increases the chances that they'll start a fight. Goon players would learn it on their own, they don't need a camp for it. I guess maybe Boogaard needed to feel like the big man on campus again so he taught a bunch of young teens how to beat up on players that just want to play the game?

I'm not against fighting in hockey, but a camp just to teach you how to punch people? What a waste.

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think about a bunch of little Tony Twist's entring the NHL...scary

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I think it is a good idea however I am going to qualify my statement. Provided he is not teaching 12 year old to go out and try to tune people up, the idea is a good one. Speaking from personal experience as someone who grew up playing in the late 70's and 80's, it would have benefited me greatly to have something like that available.

Growing up I was a good hockey player who had been in a dozen or so brawls, but nothing that would qualify as an NHL style fight. After I was done with college I was invited to a couple of ECHL training camps. While I was not a fighter, at 5'9" and 170lbs that was clearly not my role, I was expected to be able to handle myself. During the camp, I was literally knocked out cold and hurt pretty badly in my first fight because I didn't know how to handle myself.

Fighting is a part of hockey at the Junior levels and above. Kids are playing Junior hockey as young as 15 years old. Giving those kids an opportunity to learn how to handle themselves can be beneficial. As Jenni stated, there is a gentleman's code that players follow. Many of today's younger players are not learning about that and it would be beneficial for them to learn about it.

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I am a wild fan, etc..know everything bout them...first of all anyone that is gonna say anything bad about derek is an ignorant dumbass....Second, you said 14 and older...It was like 12 and 13 year olds. The camp the big deal some stupid people have made it. It was stupid of him to have kids this young, what he should have done was have a camp and the kids would be 17+ year olds that are going to have an nhl career, but the 12 and 13 year olds is just a stupid idea.

And he is not teaching how to attack people and starte fights, its for "if the situation ever comes up"

And also note that derek is not being paid by this, Puckmasters is receiving all the money.

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I think it's a damn good idea, but not for Boogie to teach..lol A NHl player has to know how to hold his own when fighting. It takes balance, timing ,and other factors. Boogie should explain that it's not intended to hurt other players, like crushing Todd's Fedoruks's face. That was not cool. There are gentlemens' rules to fighting...so it's a good idea for a fighting camp, but they should've used a better enforcer who is more than just a goon, not Boogard. if the Ducks did this we could use Travis Moen and Parros.

14 yr olds should be old enough to know that there is much more to hockey than fighting, but if you get in a fight, here's how to survive. I think more kids will be involved in hockey., or at least watch it. Disney Goals helps get kids involved too.

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