There is no sport I love more than hockey. With that said, there is no sport I hate more than hockey. So I’ve decided to vent my frustrations with a nice little rant.

Let’s start with the fan balloting; the fans should no longer be able to select the entire starting roster. The fans should be limited to one forward, one defenseman and maybe even the starting goalie. I understand that the NHL wants its fans to be able to participate, and by allowing the fans to vote for their favorite players, the NHL will only gain more fans.

Let’s look at an example of the fan balloting from this season. There has been a hockey revival in Chicago, so it is no surprise that a player like Jonathan Toews was voted in as a starter. But there are easily six or seven players that should be on the Western Conference team instead of him, including two other players from the Blackhawks.

Another rule that needs to be changed is that each team is represented in the All-Star Game. Not every team necessarily deserves to be represented in an event that is supposed to honor the best players. If the best players aren’t there, then what is the point? Again, I understand the NHL is looking to gain more fans in more cities, but true fans want to see the best players on each team.

A good example of this would be Toronto’s Tomas Kaberle making the Eastern Conference team this year. The Maple Leafs really don’t have a standout player; Kaberle is probably their most talented. Kaberle has 30 points in 49 games and is -12. Nothing gets me angrier than when a player like Kaberle makes the team and a player like Mike Green of Washington gets snubbed. Green, barring injury, will absolutely take home the Norris Trophy at the season’s end. He has 49 points in just 42 games and is +24. For a fan such as myself, the All-Star Game has become a joke.

Now, on to the fighting issue, which has been going on for years, but has escalated recently due to the death of a player from the Major Hockey League. On Dec. 12, Don Sanderson, playing for the Whitby Dunlops, hit his head on the ice after a fight and suffered brain damage that was too severe to recover from.

There are several arguments for and against fighting. There is a rule being proposed that players will have to wear helmets when they fight to protect themselves from hitting their heads on the ice like Sanderson did. If the players lose their helmets during the fight, then the fight is stopped. If the players voluntarily take off their helmets, then they will receive a penalty.

Here’s how I look at it: Fighting is a part of hockey. I understand the need to protect the players, but when they drop the gloves, they understand what they are doing. The death of Sanderson is without a doubt a tragedy, but it is also an extremely rare occurrence. While the NHL is taking steps to limit the chances of a serious injury, these are really all just steps to eventually remove fighting from the game.

The Associated Press spoke with NHLPA Executive Director Paul Kelly who said, “Fighting isn’t just there for some gratuitous reason. It’s there because there’s a need to self-police, there’s a need to protect those kinds of players in our sport. And I think that if you get rid of fighting, you’re going to have some consequences that are very unfortunate.”

The idea of an enforcer is important for the league. It’s no secret that a player like Sidney Crosby cannot take care of himself (although he has dropped the gloves twice now throughout his career); therefore, it is important to surround Crosby with at least one enforcer so that if another player like Colton Orr of the Rangers decides to run Crosby into the boards from behind, the enforcer can straighten Orr out.

If the league wants to do away with players who serve no other purpose on the ice other than fighting, then I would be in favor of that. Let’s use a player — I mean a fighter — like Andrew Peters as an example. In 198 games in the NHL, Peters has seven points. That’s right, seven points. But don’t worry, he makes up for the points with 557 penalty minutes. Peters brings no offensive skills to the game and only contributes by fighting; this is the type of player the NHL needs to do away with.

But for now I’d rather see a guy like Peters in the league rather than eliminating fighting for good. Plus, there’s nothing better than watching Peters land a right hook.