PHILADELPHIA — Dave Schultz would drop his gloves in a flash, his bare fists pummeling away at unprotected faces in fits of fury so ferocious he became known as "The Hammer."
Schultz was the intimidating backbone of Philadelphia's "Broad Street Bullies" teams of the 1970s that won a pair of Stanley Cup championships. The Flyers' rugged style of play became their calling card, and rare was the NHL team that didn't have a tough guy or two whose primary role was to protect his teammates by brute force.
Fast forward 40 years since the Flyers' last championship and players like Schultz are having a harder time sticking in the NHL. The role of the enforcer is seemingly going down without a fight as speed and skill on every line have become the norm.
In a league that is also facing head injury concerns — and lawsuits — is it finally time to say goodbye to the goon?
"They just wanted to take fighting out of the game," Schultz said. "It's not the same game."
But not necessarily a worse one.
The true signal the culture in the NHL has changed comes from Schultz's old stomping grounds. For the first time since the organization was in its infancy, the Flyers opened the season without a true enforcer on their roster. Heck, their biggest threat might be goalie Ray Emery, who headlined a fight last season against Washington's unwilling goalie, Braden Holtby.
"We've got some toughness on our team," Flyers general manager Ron Hextall said. "We've got some guys that can handle themselves. But I think when you look, there weren't a lot of fights in the preseason. There are never any fights in the playoffs. In between, there's been less and less."
