Former NHL player adds punch to Ice Hockey Classic

as a child.

However, he quickly learned that checking bodies and getting under the skin of his opposition would be part of his job description as a defenceman – and that often leads to someone throwing a fist.

‘‘If you’re not scoring goals, then you’ve got to do something else and you have to bring something to the game to make yourself noticeable,’’ said Yonkman, who previously played for Washington Capitals, Phoenix Coyotes, Florida Panthers Anaheim Ducks.

‘‘I fought a few times, not as much as some other players because I’m more of a defensive guy, but you have to protect the goalie and any kind of rough stuff. It’s almost like being a policeman out there and I still, to this day, play the same game.’’

Outside of combat sports, such as mixed martial arts and boxing, ice hockey is one of the few codes where fighting is permitted. But does that make it tougher than rugby? Yonkman said he couldn’t separate them.

‘‘I think it’s tough but I’ve got to give a lot of credit to the rugby guys. They play without helmets

and

the and padding. That is a tough sport. I think hockey is rough because it’s so fast and we’re flying around the ice so hard, and it’s tough in that way.’’

Having been involved in a previous edition of the Ice Hockey Classic, which was held in Australia, Yonkman said he was looking forward to making another trip Down Under for exhibition games against Team USA in Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown.

‘‘It’s a great honour for us to experience that, to experience your culture and to educate that part of the world on hockey. I hope one day the NHL can get an exhibition game there,’’ he said.