If there is one result that is surprising, this is it.

The belief has always been that the players would rather police themselves then live under the threat of a penalty. The argument goes that the cheap shots evident in the game are the result of players not having to stand up to an enforcer. Remember the days of anybody messing with Wayne Gretzky had to deal with Dave Semenko or Marty McSorley?

The current instigator rule was instituted in 1992 and has been controversial ever since.

Questions for the poll were written by Hockey Night in Canada and the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA). The questions were circulated to players by the NHLPA. The responses were compiled by staff members of the NHLPA and forwarded to Hockey Night in Canada. 318 players responded to the questionnaire.