Where Was 'The Code' In The Frederic-Gustafsson Fight Amid Bruins And Jets Blowout?

Tough guys are supposed to live by 'The Code,' whatever the heck that is. So Ken Campbell asks why Trent Frederic fought with a non-fighter he outweighed by 24 pounds.

Whenever people defend fighting in the NHL and hockey - and they do it a lot, a lot, a lot - they often bring up 'The Code,' a set of rules by which fighters live and operate. It's based on honor and respect, so they say.

Well, where was that on Tuesday night when Trent Frederic of the Boston Bruins one-punched David Gustafsson of the Winnipeg Jets after the Bruins fell behind 6-1 and threw two more punches after Gustafsson fell? Going into that fight, Frederic had 38 career fights, Gustafsson zero. Frederic also has an inch and 24 pounds on Gustafsson.

Of course, Gustafsson could have turned down Frederic's invitation to drop the gloves. Yeah, that's cute. Sure, he could have.

And the predictable happened. Frederic pummelled Gustafsson, who was helped off the ice and didn't return. Basically, Gustafsson couldn't win if he didn't fight. And he certainly didn't when he did.

One of these days, one of these one-sided fights could go seriously sideways.

Here's more in today's video column:

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