The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Darryl Wolski has a new vision. He's had visions before, but this one has taken off like nothing he has ever seen. As an example, he's never been behind an idea so wild and captivating that he's been requested for a Canada AM interview. Imagine. People paying money to watch hockey fights. That's right. Hockey fights. No goals, breakaways, glove saves, or end to end rushes. Just a one on one hockey fight. It's likely going to draw some criticism from those who despise the fisticuffs that occur in the heat of battle during a regular game. What will they ever think of fans and participants showing up for the sole purpose of a fight? "A friend of mine four or five years ago over a plate of wings came up with the idea and threw it by me. He wondered what would it take to get a hundred guys together, put them into the rink for pay per view hockey fights. I thought there would be some negative backlash and what not for sure. As time goes by it has always been in the back of my head. I was talking to a guy in Winnipeg and he was doing this pay per view wrestling thing in Winnipeg. He had a connection with Viewer's Choice in Toronto. I told him about the idea of having these hockey fights and he wanted to talk about it. We went a little further and over the last three weeks it has just snowballed. It's amazing how it has taken off, really, overnight. It's only been the works for three or four weeks," said Wolski, who is already billing the show as Hockey Gladiators. Because the idea is new, there are plenty of details that still need to be ironed out. "This stuff got leaked out a little early before we were fully prepared, but as far as rules go there will be no kicking, use of sticks, or that kind of thing. It will just be pull the jersey over his head and tune him in or whatever. The guys will be wearing full equipment. Whether they take off the helmet or get it punched off is up to him," stated Wolski. Each tilt will be a minute or two. Wolski expects to have a panel of judges, possibly bonafide established NHL heavyweights as judges. Wolski envisions a field of 64 fighters with one emerging to claim $40,000 for the top prize with the runner up getting $10,000. "They'll have the option before the final of putting the money into a pot and just letting the winner take all if that's what both guys want to do. That option will be there." Wolski says applicants will be screened in order to provide the toughest field possible. "You don't know if an 18 year-old from the Dauphin Kings or whatever is going to apply so there will have to be some sort of process. I guess there could be some qualified guys who have built up some serious PIMs that are worthwhile allowing. But, I fully expect guys in the semi-pro ranks will be interested. There is a real good chance there will be no NHL next fall, so some guys are going to need jobs. If you are making $40,000 a year in the American Hockey League as a goon and happen to get bumped because of a strike or something then you are going to need money. This is a quick way to get a year's salary in just one weekend of work." Wolski admits there are already some detractors and skeptics who deplore him for promoting 'violence'. "People have asked me that already. Go rent Grand Theft Auto and see what the kids are playing for video games. That's violence. The worse thing that is going to happen here is a guy may lose a chicklet (tooth) or break a nose. Big deal. That happens at the local bar in every community every Saturday night." Originally from Selkirk, Wolski figures area toughies Chad Gaborieau and Kevin Mayo could fall short of the cut when the field is decided. "I think we'll have some serious minor pro, tier one, and tier two players interested that will provide good quality fights." "Most of these guys will be happy just to get the exposure. This is a chance for someone to come out of the shadows of the low minor pros and make a name for himself. Is Rocky Thompson a great fighter? I suspect we'll have a couple of dozen Rocky Thompsons at this thing." Interested parties can check out the website at http://www.hockeygladiators.com as Wolski expects to have the venue site officially named within the new year. Legal documention will also be posted in addition to all the latest news. "I was on the phone tonight for half an hour with a producer from FX (American TV cable channel). They would like to steer away from pay per view. They want a piece of this. I've been very surprised with how fast this has caught on. I was expecting about 1/50th of the media attention that has been generated. I never thought I'd be talking to the USA Today, Edmonton Journal, and other places in San Diego, Dallas, and New York. It's something else. The Winnipeg Sun is doing a piece in their paper just on the hype. They had a poll and 42% of the respondents said they'd pay to watch hockey fights." The Battle of the Hockey Gladiators event, planned for September 2004, has accepted its first two competitors according to a press release last week. Former NHLer Tony Twist and 1970's tough guy Kurt Walker will be in the mix of a field of sixty-four when the 'first of its kind' $50,000 hockey fight tournament gets underway. Twist played 445-games in the National Hockey League with the St. Louis Blues and Quebec Nordiques. His career ended in 1999 after he was injured in a motorcycle accident during the offseason. He accumulated 1121-penalty minutes. Walker played 71-career games in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs and will be 50 years-old next June 10th. However, he claims to be in better shape today than when he last played professional hockey. He lists over 200 fights on his resume. Based out of Brandon/Winnipeg, the Hockey Gladiators Board of Directors have fielded media interviews with Canada AM, CNN, and other major newspapers and radio stations across North America. It has received some criticism for the impression of promoting violence and all that is bad about hockey; however it is also getting rave reviews from others in what may be a very controversial event come next fall.
