Customer Reviews

The Code: The Unwritten Rules of Fighting and Retaliation in the NHL

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As a long-time hockey enthusiast and proponent of fighting in the NHL, I thought this book would be a great read. It is, for the most part, very educational, explaining a lot of the history of fighting and feuds in the NHL, describing the infamous, unwritten Code and what it means to the players and coaches, and also detailing how various rule and cultural changes have revised the game to its current state. (Although we can probably stop calling it the "unwritten Code" now that, ya know, there's this book.)

Unfortunately, it's NOT a great read, and many of the reviews here at Amazon are spot-on. The book is amateurish and mediocre, strictly for the hardcore enthusiast or someone who desperately seeks to absorb everything to know about hockey and needs this book as a primer to understand fighting in the NHL. Bernstein's words only account for about 30% of the overall manuscript. The rest is clips and quotes from NHL players and coaches, mostly Tony Twist, Marty McSorely, and Paul Stewart.

Most quotes read like this: "Blah blah positive comment about fighting in hockey. Blah blah some anecdote about respect. Blah blah one time I did this, and here's why I beat this guy's face. Blah blah that's what the code means to me."

That's great, and I get the point. But do we need 119 quotes that all sound alike?

Bernstein also includes more cliche than should be allowable by law. He's in LOVE with using "quotes" to make references to things where no quotes are necessary, often being those afore-mentioned cliches.

What's lamentable is that there are numerous black and white photos peppered throughout the book. That's right... good ol' grayscale. I would've gladly paid an extra $2-$3 had the publishers saw fit to include color photos, and much more of them. I'd bet a good 20% of the repetitive quotes and Bernstein's long-winded drivel could've been replaced by more photos of famous fights and fighters.

Admittedly, Bernstein claims he was a casual hockey fan and knew nothing of the Code prior to researching for this book, which he started doing after the oft-mentioned "Bertuzzi incident". Hockey fans would have been done better service had this book been written by a true sports writer with a passion for the game. Terry Frei or Frank DeFord could've done a better job. Lord knows their editors could, too.

To its credit, however, The Code is full of some great hockey stories, and tales that describe the history of fighting in the NHL. There are also some very amusing quotes and stories from some of hockey's best enforcers that made me laugh out loud or had my jaw drop. (Although I'm disappointed there wasn't one word about Vladamir "The Vladinator" Konstantinov in this entire book.)

All that said, for anyone who loves the game of hockey, and enjoys the fisticuffs, I WOULD recommend this book (to Bernstein's publisher: please note that I did not have a need to put the word fisticuffs in quotes, as Bernstein seems compelled to do every time he uses the word, as if it's the first time we've read it). But do yourself a favor and skim it, paying careful attention to the quotes, which are either framed in gray boxes or in italicized text. It's a book best-read on a lazy Saturday afternoon, or maybe a few days before the All Star break when we're itching for anything hockey. Plus, you'll probably learn a thing or two about some famous hockey fights that you can use to impress your friends and wow your beer league teammates!

being new hockey fans it has often been confusing as to why some penalties are called and some things aren't. Hearing long time fans complaining about calls that seem obvious. why is fighting allowed in hockey but not other team sports. This book does an excellent job of explaining how hockey has evolved and the reasons behind a lot of the actions on the ice. Definately opens up another line of thinking and allows you to have a better perspective of the game from the players point of view.

If you want to know why fighting in hockey is not only accepted, but necessary, or if you want some privy information from some of the game's top heavyweights, then read this book. But don't spend your money for it.

There are numerous errors of fact throughout this book. One is tempted to give Bernstein the benefit of the doubt, and think it's merely a keystroke, like when he reports the standard size of an NHL rink as 100' X 85'. Later he does list the correct dimensions of 200' X 85, so an early typo is forgiveable.
By the time I was reading how Mike Vernon led his team to two consecutive Stanley Cups from 1996-1998 though, I knew they weren't typos. Mike Vernon wasn't the starting goaltender for the Detroit Redwings in `96-97 regular season, but he did build his stock up enough in the playoffs to get a fat contract from San Jose the following year, when Chris Osgood (and Kevin Hodson) backstopped the Wings to the Cup in '97-98.

It is impossible to type "Ontario" though when you mean "Alberta". Bernstein refers to the rivalry between Calgary and Edmonton as "the battle of Ontario", and I know he knows the difference, because he later refers to it as "the battle of Alberta". After a while of reading other completely irresponsible factual mistakes, the book would seem to be much less credible. The only thing that salvages it is that quite a bit of the text is verbatim interviews with former and current players, referees and other hockey personalities.

Here are some other items that will make a hockey fan furrow their brow -
Listing Mario Lemieux as at least 6'5", 230. He did end his career at 230, but came into the NHL at 18 years old weighing much less and standing 6'4" tall. While I'm not sure exactly how much weight he gained, I am quite sure he didn't get taller.
Comparing Muhammad Ali, the world's most recognizable athlete, to Tie Domi.
Spinning the 1987 Canada / USSR junior bench clearing brawl as a head-to-head championship game. (The Soviets were by then out of contention.)
Claiming the biggest rivalry of the six-team NHL was Chicago / Detroit. Not to disrespect that for what it was, but read any Canadian's book that has anything to do with hockey, and you will know the best NHL rivalry of all-time is Montreal / Toronto.
Calling Derian Hatcher fast.

After all of that, the book is not well organized or written. I did not buy this book to read the author's personal testament to his favorite players or endure pages of redundant opinion. And you shouldn't either. If you want to read some great anecdotes, or really are curious about the necessities of fighting in hockey, then you'll find it here. But check it out from your local library.

This book is very repetitive. Could have been shorted to a long article in my opinion. But with a lack of good quality hockey books it still might be worth your time. I had higher expectations when I ordered it and it let me down but if you are interested in the sport and don't know much it I do not want to discourage you form learning so it might be worth your time and teach you about the culture of hockey.

As a 25+ year hockey veteran, this book taught me a lot about the game behind the game. The commentary by many ex-players had me laughing out loud and my wife looking at me funny. I would recommend this book to anyone who thinks hockey is a brutal or barbaric sport since it definitely teaches the reader lessons on what provokes enforcers in the NHL.

Fascinating insight into the code of conduct and ethics that NHL players have always adhered. As much as I've watched hockey, I had never heard of "The Code" which governs the play, physicality, and rules of retalliation during play and is entirely self-enforced by NHL players from the begining of the game up to modern times. The contributing side-bars from former and current enforcers added a lot of color, humor, and credibility to the book. It's completely changed the way I watch hockey and help explain a lot of the intricacies and sub-plots that take part during a game and especially during the run for the cup.

Not to harp on after what so many have already noted, but the plethora of basic errors is an unwelcome distraction. To compound the problem, many of the the errors are glaring, i.e. not really understanding the game-misconduct penalty, or when focusing on the NHL players who are Captain of their team, he admirably highlights Cam Neely, who never wore the "C" in Boston or Vancouver (note to author: Ray Bourque is not best pleased). Hiring a good researcher would have improved this book by 40%.

By missing so many of the basics of hockey itself, it is too much to expect that this book will be able to penetrate the complex idiosyncrasies that make up The Code. In this respect, the book doesn't fail, which is a shame because this might have been an opportunity missed. To have a book that was able to deconstruct fighting in hockey in a way that Bill Bruford did about Soccer Hooligans in his legendary book "Among the Thugs" would have been an achievement.

Unfortunately the constant repetition of quotes from a limited section of NHL enforcers fails to bring forth any consensus on what the role of fighting in the NHL should be. In 2008, with a bullying team in Anaheim as Stanley Cup holders and other teams beefing up, the NHL continues to look nervously at the UFC and wonder (is worry too strong a word?) over the same question. This book never tries to seriously address these issues and you are left to wonder why.

I loved reading about all the fights. I had no idea just what went into a hockey fighht. I learned so much. By the time two heavy weights drop the gloves, there are so many behind the scenes things that happen. Great read. I highly recommend it for any hockey fan.

I like hockey, and I like the fights. I make no apologies for that. But I also know that fighting isn't normally done just for the sake of punching out someone. There's an unwritten set of rules that dictate how and when fights start. To find out a bit more about that, I got the book The Code: The Unwritten Rules Of Fighting And Retaliation In The NHL by Ross Bernstein from the library. Although it's a bit scattered and unfocused at times, it does a good job in explaining the basics behind how a team's "tough guy" does his job on the ice. And yes, it *is* a recognized role with a code that dictates who gets hit when, and why it happens.

Contents:
Section 1 - The History of Fighting in the NHL: A Look Back at the History of Fighting and Violence in Professional Hockey
Section 2 - Defining the Code: Why Is There Fighting in Pro Hockey?; What Prompts Dropping the Gloves?; What Are the Rules of Engagement anfter the Gloves Come Off?; How Does the Code Work?; The Code and the Special Games
Section 3 - The Enforcer and His Impact on the Game: Big Hitters Mean Big Business; On Playing Hurt; On Respect and Toughness; Fear; Friendly Fire; Life Off the Ice
Section 4 - How League Rules and Officials Affect Fighting: The Instigator Rule; Divers; On Bench-Clearing Brawls; Facial Protection; The Official's Influence
Section 5 - After the Game and Beyond the Pros - How Fighting Affects the Rest of Us: Junior Hockey; Southern Cookin'; To Fight or Not to Fight; The Effects of Fighting on Youth
Section 6 - The Lockout and Its Aftermath: On the Events That Led Up to the 2004 NHL Lockout and Its Aftermath
Appendix - Neal Sheeny on the Aftermath of the Rules Changes
Notes

To the average hockey fan, this will be an eye-opener. In the "olden days" of hockey, fighting was often nothing more than mayhem to take out top players, pay back real or imagined offenses, or just to draw more fans. But as the game evolved, the role of the enforcer actually became a way to keep the peace on the ice. If someone took a shot at a team's top player, their enforcer would let that person know that any more liberties taken on the ice would be paid back in same. This normally kept things under control and gave the top skaters room to work on the ice. If the harassment continued, it would lead to a fight and that would settle things. Of course, there are exceptions to the code and some players chose not to play by "the rules." But by and large, most players view this code as an accepted part of the game that actually benefits everyone. Conflicts are settled between two matched enforcers instead of having tensions escalate and involve the entire team.

One thing I learned from the book is that the instigator rule is viewed by many as causing *more* chippiness rather than less. It allows skaters to take cheap shots at other players, knowing that if an enforcer comes after them and drops the gloves, he'll end up getting an extra two minutes on top of the five minutes for fighting.

Bernstein includes a *lot* of quotes and sidebars from various players and enforcers over the years. While they add some color to the material, it seems to detract a bit from the core material as not all of them are specific to the point being discussed on those pages. I also don't know how much of a hockey expert Bernstein actually is, as there were a few errors that even a casual fan should have known, like the actual penalties for fighting (there isn't an automatic ten minute misconduct added onto a fighting major). The research or proof-reading could have been better...

Overall, The Code is an interesting read for a hockey fan who wants to understand a bit more about the role of the enforcer in the game. I don't know that I would actually buy the book, but as a library read, it was fine.

Disclosure:
Obtained From: Library
Payment: Borrowed

All pucked up

What is the purpose of violence in hockey? When does it go too far? If you guess that hokey violence is meant to intimidate opponents, protect stars and pay back violence from the other team, you're right. That, basically, is the point of "The Code." That, and there are rules for "fair fighting. Attacking an opponent from behind violates the code. Going after superstars is another. We get descriptions of the worst incidents when the code was violated and hear from the sport's major enforcers. The book disapproves of excesses that crack skulls and end careers, but is seemingly fine with anything short of that. We do get glimpses of great moments in hockey's past - like the game in which the old Boston Garden's AC went out. The place was a sizzling 95 degrees in the upper seats, and fog formed on the ice. But "The Code" is hardly a history of the sport.

I would recommend "The Code" for hockey fans who want to get a sense of what is legitimate from their heroes on the ice. Maybe for those who enjoy playing the sport themselves. But if, like me, you're only a sometime fan of the game, there's not enough here to keep you interested.