Krys Barch, Brett Gallant find loophole in fight rules (Video)

The NHL is doing their best to make the league safer and instilling silly and pointless rules. One of the new rules, for safety of the players, prevents players from taking their helmets off before fights. A fighting penalty already gets you 5 minutes in the box, if you take your helmet off before the fight you’ll get an additional two minutes.

From Rule 46.6:

"Helmets – No player may remove his helmet prior to engaging in a fight. If he should do so, he shall be assessed a two minute minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Helmets that come off in the course of and resulting from the altercation will not result in a penalty to either player."

Well with most rules there is a loophole. Brett Gallant of the New York Islanders and Krys Barch of the New Jersey Devils were looking to get into some fisticuffs but those pesky helmets got in the way.

Barch can be seen grabbing at his helmet twice, it almost like he makes a hand gesture to Gallant trying to call for them to take each other’s helmets off. When they get closer Barch takes Gallant’s helmet off than Gallant takes his off before they start fighting.

I think this is a great opportunity to see some awesome fights. I know the brutish NHL goons or enforcers probably won’t be creative enough to want to do anything cool with this, mainly in part because they’re so focused on destroying this guys face and are probably pretty angry.

But there could be some cool fight beginnings. Two NHL players face each other, take the helmets off ceremoniously, maybe bow like they do in Karate before exchanging blows. Or instead of putting their hands together they just hold the helmet. Maybe they take the helmets off and tap them like boxer’s tap gloves before fights.

Maybe the take the helmet and show it off medieval style or like a wrestler with a championship belt before the fight, think Rock on the top rope. Maybe after winning?

The potential is there.