it also can show self control like if a player gets stuff said to him and he plays bad or becomes a hack it shows he has no self control but if someone can take it and score and shut them up it shows he can play hockey and is determend
I think that we need smack talking in hockey and in every other sport as well. There are many reasons but the biggest is that it forms rivalries and they are the best thing in sports.
i like the smack talking also... but there is a difference when your smack talking when you are losing.. if your losing keep your mouth shut thats what i think
More often than not the people that are doing the smack talking are the kids that can hardly skate and they think smack talking somehow makes them valuable to their team, but if you can back it up with skill, then I'm all for it.
Without smack where would hockey be? You are gunna say somethin to another player to get into his head, try to get under his skin. ur not gonna say "That was a nifty move there partner" to a person on the other team. Hockey would be worse than it is now with the new rules.