Even the most casual fans of the sport know it: the spectacle of players bashing each other around on the ice is one of the sport's major draws. Hopes for glimpsing blood and gore and broken teeth draw thousands to the sport, and there are websites and YouTube channels devoted exclusively to player brawls, which have their own complex system of unofficial rules and fighter etiquette.
Here, for your viewing pleasure: some of the sport's best beat-down moments.
Finland's Leo Komarov (C) and Finland's Ossi Vaananen (R) fight with Russia's Alexander Radulov in the net during the Men's Ice Hockey Play-offs Quarterfinals match between Finland and Russia at the Bolshoy Ice Dome during the Sochi Winter Olympics on February 19, 2014
Finland's Olli Jokinen (L) vies with Sweden's defence during the Men's Ice Hockey Semifinal match between Sweden and Finland at the Bolshoy Ice Dome during the Sochi Winter Olympics on February 21, 2014
Sweden's Johan Franzen (L) and Russia's Yevgeni Malkin fight during the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship group S match between Russia and Sweden at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm on May 11, 2012
Djurgarden IF's Mikael Ahlen (L) fights with Eisbaren Berlin's Darin Olver during their Champions Hockey League ice hockey match at Hovet Arena in Stockholm on September 5, 2014
Russian (in white) and Czech players fight during a match of the Channel One Cup, an event of the Euro Hockey Tour,in Moscow on December 20, 2008
Martin Laumann Ylven (R) of Norway punches Rolands Bukarts (L) of Latvia during their friendly ice hockey match in Riga on April 26, 2011
Sweden's Henrik Tallinder (L), Sweden's Niklas Kronwall (R) and Sweden's goalkeeper Henrik Lundqvist (C) fight for the puck during the Men's Ice Hockey Group B match Czech Republic vs Sweden at the Bolshoy Ice Cube on February 12, 2014 at the Sochi Winter Olympics in Sochi
Referees try to stop a fight between Czech's Patrik Elias (L) and Russia's Maxim Afinogenov (R) during their IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship bronze medal match between Czech Republic and Russia in Bratislava, on May 15, 2011
9/10
© AP Photo / Gerry Broome
This Jan. 8, 2010, file photo shows Colorado Avalanche's Chris Stewart (25) and Carolina Hurricanes' Tim Gleason (6) fighting during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C. Hurricanes defenseman Tim Gleason casts aside his tough-guy image to dabble in some figure skating with a pair of U.S. Olympians, Mark Ladwig and Amanda Evora, who will participate in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in January
Finland's Sami Lepisto and Zbynek Irgl (R) of Czech Republic fight their way to shower after getting game misconduct penalties during the Euro Hockey Tour Karjala Cup ice hockey match Finland vs Czech Republic on November 9, 2013 in Helsinki, Finland. Finland won the match 3-2
