The Rise and Fall of the Enforcer in the National Hockey League

This paper investigates the time series properties of fighting and scoring in the National Hockey League from 1957-2013. The empirical analysis focuses on identifying structural breaks in the various time series and correlating these breaks with rule changes in the NHL, especially those that focus on fighting. We find that player behavior in the areas of fighting and scoring changed structurally before rule changes in the NHL that reduced the benefits and increased the costs of fighting. The data and empirical results suggest that the rise and fall of the enforcer was a function of changes in social norms within the NHL rather than legal changes by the league itself. The example suggests that other sports might also experience changes in social norms that lead to reduced violence and increased offense before formal rule changes are made by league officials. The Rise and Fall of the Enforcer in the National Hockey League Craig A. Depken II Department of Economics Belk College of Business University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC 28223 Peter A. Groothuis* Department of Economics Walker College of Business Appalachian State University Boone, NC 28608 Mark C. Strazicich Department of Economics Walker College of Business Appalachian State University Boone, NC 28608